Mahou Sensei Kain! The Red Wings! (Act 125)
by Chris-Sasami-Bunny
Summary: Finally, we get to hear the story of Kain's long lost Father Kalan! Find out how he met Aeli, how they formed the red wings, and perhaps, even where they are now. This story takes place between Acts 12 and 13, so if you haven't read that far yet you may want to wait.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit fictional story, a FanFiction based on Ken Akamatsu's Negima. I do not own Negima, or most of the other characters included in this work, excepting where it is stated in the author's notes. It is not intended or presented for any commercial profit or personal gain; it is simply a story written for personal fulfillment and presented for public enjoyment, and as an honest homage to the fine story conceived and written by Ken Akamatsu, as well as all the other (innumerable) works that find place herein (and their authors).

Prologue

"What are you doing?"

The youthful Jynx glanced behind him at the figure in the doorway. The youthful Saber filled it. "Ah, Saber…I'm taking record of our adventures," Jynx said cheerfully. He gestured to the machine in front of him. A squat, round object, it had a small video screen and a pair of snake-like protrusions with suction cups on the end of them.

"Well…a neural analyzing MagiTech device?" Saber murmured. "Although it's obvious what that device is, anything you have to hook up directly to your head or brain makes me hesitate…."

"Ah, come on," Jynx chuckled. "I was hoping for everyone to contribute some to the project…it's not enough just to have a 'record', after all. It has to be presented right…like on the big screen, you know?"

"Ah…you are referring to those 'motion pictures' that Aeli is so fond of?" Saber mused. "I'm not sure if our memories should be made into something so…trivial…."

"Not at all! It's not trivial at all! People will be telling stories about this in the future anyway. They'll probably even make movies of their own about it. We've talked about it…we figure it'll be better to make our own record for it. I studied quite a bit of video production at the University…I should be able to turn our adventures into a pretty good picture…."

"Hmm…'we', you say…and who is this 'we'? You and Aiden- _dono_? Kalan- _dono_?"

"I thought it was a good idea," Aeli remarked as she came wandering in, startling Saber. "It might be fun, you know?"

"A-Aeli!" Saber stuttered in shock. "You can't be serious!"

"Why not?" Aeli asked. "It's just as Jynx says. We might as well put down our own record…we can keep it for our own personal amusement, if nothing else."

"Right!" Jynx agreed. "Now, I think this is about ready…let's get everyone gathered to get it started…."

8-8-8

The group assembled, watching Jynx putting the finishing touches on his device. The young Kurt Gödel, silver-haired and adorned by his glasses, was sitting next to the man, helping him. Takamichi stood nearby, nervously switching between watching the pair and watching Gato, who was viewing the scene rather passively. Aeli and Kalan were chuckling as they discussed how the movie might turn out, with Aeli holding little Mai on her lap. Mai watched the scene with her usual blankness. Aiden stood near Gato, watching with a small smile.

Saber was pacing around nervously, and Eishun didn't look happy as he observed the pair at work. "Is this really the time we should be doing this?" he demanded. "I mean, sure the Obsidian Star is lying low—we've dealt them a serious blow now, repossessing Orimus—but they're not gone yet. Should we be relaxing like this, doing something like this, when the…ah, the 'story' hasn't even been finished yet?"

"I think it's better to start it now," Kalan put in, breaking from his own conversation. "There's stuff still to do, but so much has already been done, that if we want to do a project like this—and I have a feeling that we should have our own story out there, for posterity if nothing else—we should get started now." He turned to Jynx. "Is it ready?"

"Yes!" Jynx declared emphatically, standing dramatically. "It's ready to go!"

"It looks like fun," said Aiden. "So, we're going to be producers now?"

F I N

 _Author's Note: Magic of the Cineverse_

 _And so we begin the Red Wings' story, a piece that will be largely fast-forwarded and with the main parts hit—they won't be as extensive and in-depth as the opening story told at the end of Act 8. I'm not sure how much time I'll spend here, but I figure it's more than a few small chapters, hence the reason I decided to change this into a mini-Act all its own. It will be told in semi-story, semi-movie narration format, with Aiden providing the highlights, of course, and occasional comments from the peanut gallery._

 _This is, of course, based on the videos Jack Rakan used to tell his very own story, although I figure that Jynx is the kind of guy who would most want to play with the video, so it's mostly his product, and thus Aiden's version isn't so pompous as Rakan's was. These videos were made via the entire group of the Red Wings, over time—as this prologue shows, starting near the end of the war, and then continued afterwards. There will be more of these later; for now, Aiden's only telling the primary story of the Obsidian Star._

 _So, let's get this started!_


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit fictional story, a FanFiction based on Ken Akamatsu's Negima. I do not own Negima, or most of the other characters included in this work, excepting where it is stated in the author's notes. It is not intended or presented for any commercial profit or personal gain; it is simply a story written for personal fulfillment and presented for public enjoyment, and as an honest homage to the fine story conceived and written by Ken Akamatsu, as well as all the other (innumerable) works that find place herein (and their authors).

The History of the Red Wings, Part One: The Already-Told Story

A giant screen came down from the ceiling, turning Urahara's room into a movie theater, appropriate for Aiden's proposed activity. As he rifled through the collection of discs, however, Aiden frowned. "That's strange," he muttered. "I seem to be missing one."

"Missing what?" Urahara asked.

"One of the discs. Volume One is gone—the story of how Kalan's involvement in the war started. Either I misplaced it, I lost it, or I left it behind…anyway, I don't have it with me here."

"Oh, that's too bad!" Kamo declared with feeling. "That's the story where I get to introduce my ultra-cool self…and it tells how Kalan got his cloak, as well. His first two contracts, meeting most of his party—there's some pretty major stuff in there, you know."

"Yeah, I know," Aiden said with a shrug. "But, then again, I'm not in it yet, so it can't be that important, right?"

As the audience began to hurl epithets his way, he said, "Okay, we're going just to have to move on to the next one, but it's not a big deal, since anyone who needs to know about it can go back and read the end of Act 8. In any case, I'll give a little rundown of how this all got started….

"Kalan Lockeheart was in Japan with Higurashi Eishun, Allen 'Jynx' Black, and Alyssa Searrs when the war started in Arcanus Myrror. Kalan heard the news and decided that this was stupid, and that he was going to go 'put a stop to it,' or something like that. Alyssa Searrs stayed behind, but the other two followed him through the Gate at Sendai and into Grandall, the nation that his family originally came from and the nation most tied to Mahora Academy. He offered his services to them as a special mercenary. He was still only ten years old, but he had already proven himself by winning Mahora's True Battle Tournament that summer, and was accepted into Grandall's mercenary force.

"Considering his…unique background, Field Marshal McGovern, who was given command of his 'Red Wings', gave him a special assignment—to escort a young princess from Kanev to the safety of a monastery at St. Binah. Of course, Kanev was not at war, and Grandall was—but the rulers of the two nations decided it was a good time to start preparing for a marriage alliance between the third princess of Kanev and Peony, one of Emperor Karl's sons. That much wasn't specifically told to Kalan, although he figured it out quickly enough. They were also given one more mercenary, an old knight named Gafgarion. Gafgarion was one of the three great swordsmen of the Mantis War of thirty years previous, the last real war Arcanus Myrror had seen, and was skilled in the arts of the Dark Sword, so he was powerful enough to be a military unit unto himself. So, with this escort, it seemed the assignment should have been a walk in the park.

"Besides those four, the young princess had her own bodyguard, a young lady knight Jynx' age who called herself Saber. The six of them were making their way through the mountains between Kanev and Grandall when they came upon signs of raiders…bandits who had traveled up into the unexplored and unknown mountain paths."

"They were just going to pass by because the bandits were currently no threat to them," Kamo suddenly put in cheerfully. "However, the princess remarked that there were supposedly secret villages of secluded mages up in the mountains, who kept their private little homes in order to safeguard important secrets of magic. This is when I showed up—a heroic spirit of the plane of magic, I was drawn to this place and time of destiny on this world and this powerful individual, Kalan Lockeheart, and I offered my services to him. I also explained that the princess' fears were correct—that the bandits had gone off into the mountains in order to raid some of these secret villages. How they had found about it…well, that's a story for later, as we'll see.

"But the princess decided she didn't want to let the village suffer, and so she was going to go confront the bandits, and since her companions were there to protect her, they had no choice but to follow her into battle. And so they wiped out the bandits pretty easily, and Kalan confronted their leader—Krovak the Black Tiger, another of the three great swordsmen of the Mantis War and, after an epic duel, Kalan defeated and killed the Black Tiger. Thus the village was saved.

"The cloak Kain carries came from that village—it was one of a number of ancient artifacts that they safeguarded, and they gave it to Kalan at that time, not because he saved the village, not as a reward, but because they foresaw that he would need it in the coming trial. So, with this little first adventure out of the way, they continued on towards their destination."

"And so you joined up with them," Chisame muttered. "And you were immediately trying to get Kalan to make contracts with them all, weren't you, Kamolai?"

"Making contracts is my job," Kamo chuckled. "I made the offer to Kalan and his companions, and Jynx went ahead and accepted—he made the first contract with Kalan, and got his artifact then. That was all they would do for starters.

"Anyway, all was going well until one evening we stopped at a monastery in the neutral land between kingdoms, and we were confronted by soldiers from the Halteese Republic. They were claiming the right to take away the princess, and so everyone rushed out to confront them—but after the battle, they all died mysteriously, form self-administered poison or magic, and a strange white-suited gentleman popped in and kidnapped the princess while they were distracted. They pursued her and finally caught the culprit—surrounded by knights from Grandall. The knights then commanded Gafgarion to kill Kalan and his band, which he tried before running away, and they turned on the Red Wings themselves. The white-suited man helped to defeat them, and then introduced himself as Gato Kagura Vandenberg, a former agent of Halteese. He had left the government's employ some years previous and was now trying to get to the bottom of the war hawks trying to promote the war, and had realized that whatever this faction was had agents in all the militaries and governments of Arcanus Myrror. He was certain that they would be able to kidnap the princess, so he beat them to the punch in order to protect her. So he told us, but our group, particularly the over-protective Saber, couldn't trust him so easily, and they declined to hand her over to him for safe-keeping.

"Kalan, however, had actually believed Gato from the start and decided to use the princess as bait in order to draw out the secret society's goons. It worked too well—we got her to St. Binah okay and acted as local land wardens around the city for a week or so, but one day while we were out on patrol a monster of a man invaded St. Binah, slaughtered the guards and soldiers and police, left Saber near-dead, and took the princess away. Saber was too weak to help rescue her charge, so I, uh, convinced her that the only way she would be able to recover in time to help was if she made a contract with Kalan, which she did. This revealed her as what we all knew she was to begin with (well, most of us): Artoria Pendragon, only daughter and heir to the throne of Avalon, and a descendant of King Arthur, and her artifact was Excalibur itself. Artoria's mother, you see, was sister to the Queen of Kanev, making her and the princess cousins—one of the reasons she was acting as her champion knight. After this small revelation, we hurried on the trail of the kidnapper and found his stronghold, a castle belonging to the Glabados movement of the Arcanus church. On the way in, we were ambushed by Gafgarion and a bunch of drugged-up soldiers from all the nations.

"Kalan killed Gafgarion, and Gato showed up to help us take out the rest of the minions, and so all that was left was the big boss himself and his hand-picked minions…who, when we confronted them, revealed themselves to be demon-like creatures of an energy that was foreign even to _me_. Saber used her shiny new toy to kill the leader, and the rest of us were victorious, and so the princess was rescued…but it was clear to all of us that this was no simple war between magical kingdoms (as if that was anything light in and of itself!).

"The idea of taking her to St. Binah was untenable—it would likely just repeat the whole process, because these bad guys were looking to use her to expand the war, apparently between Grandall and the Halteese Republic. So Kalan decided the next course of action would be to take her to Grand Chokma, the capital of the Grandall Empire—there, he would keep her safe in the heart of the empire while he and Gato worked to uncover this secret society so that they could be destroyed and the war ended….

"And that's where Volume One ends," Kamo explained. "Volume Two is the story of the Red Wings in Grandall." He folded his arms (paws) and nodded triumphantly.

He had been using his magic to create pictures of the characters and some of the events involved. Most of the audience had been intently watching and listening, but for Mai, it was greater than that—the names and images conjured so many memories in her that her mind was almost going numb. _('This is how it started…but both of them, Aiden and Kamo, kept referring to her as 'the princess'. I know they have things they don't want to tell Kain, but this is a bit much—she's so important in this story that they aren't going to be able to tell it without her name. Is it just instinctive, or what…?')_

"I guess we won't really know what we're missing until we see the rest," Lina said. "Okay, let's get on with it already! Start the film and get us some popcorn or something!"

Aiden chuckled. "All right," he said, prepping a disc behind the counter. "Here we are. For those of you who've never seen before, get ready—here come 'The Red Wings'."

"And remember, for those who need refreshers, this first story was told in detail at the end of Act 8," Rei added for the closing camera.

F I N

 _Author's Note: Yes, I Did._

 _Yes, yes, I did. I actually wrote a chapter as nothing but an excuse not to write a chapter. Or something like that. But I thought this concept was amusing—that since we've already seen this story earlier, there's no need to go over it again, and because of that, Aiden has somehow lost the disc. Sad for the kids, but oh well…Kamo's an okay substitute._

 _So, enough with the stupid jokes! Let's actually see the stars!_


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit fictional story, a FanFiction based on Ken Akamatsu's Negima. I do not own Negima, or most of the other characters included in this work, excepting where it is stated in the author's notes. It is not intended or presented for any commercial profit or personal gain; it is simply a story written for personal fulfillment and presented for public enjoyment, and as an honest homage to the fine story conceived and written by Ken Akamatsu, as well as all the other (innumerable) works that find place herein (and their authors).

The History of the Red Wings, Part Two: The Imperial Capital

The screen flickered to life, and the movie started (in HD), beginning with a production label from 'Black Hole Productions'. There was actually a cheer from most of the White Wings as the introductory video began to show the members of the Red Wings in dramatic and cinematic poses. Most of their newer companions were unused to the energy that permeated Class 3-A…even this relatively low-key part of it.

Finally, the screen declared the title of the film: The Red Wings, Chapter Two: Shadows in the Empire….

8-8-8

"Ah, so this is Grand Chokma, the Floating Capital," Aeli said brightly. "It's an impressive city…."

"I'm surprised to hear words like that from a princess of the Flying City, Orimus," Gato chuckled.

"Oh, pooh," she replied dismissively. "When you're used to it, it doesn't mean as much…although in my case I've spent most of my life at monasteries and such outside of the city. A place like this…a city of largely dikes built out over the water, leaving you so close to the element of life at all times…it's a refreshing feeling, and a beautiful sight all its own. In purely magical terms, a floating city is not so wondrous as a flying one…but it does not make it any less wonderful."

Saber smiled. "Well, this will be our home for some time," she cautioned the girl. "I hope your appreciation of it grows, and does not diminish, while we are here."

"I'm certain it will," she said with a smile. "This isn't a monastery, after all…."

8-8-8

The guards at the castle's gate were not happy with the appearance of Kalan and his party…nor was the general who came out to see what was going on.

"We've already had to fend off several attempted kidnappings of the princess," Kalan said simply. "You must have already heard about the loss of life at St. Binah in the last kidnapping. We've brought her here because it's the only safe place for her. If you would rather renounce your protection of her, that's fine, too…we'll escort her back to Kanev."

While they were waiting for the word, another woman came charging out of the castle to Aeli, an older teenage girl with long blond hair. "Y-your Highness! Princess Aeli!"

"Mira!" Aeli replied with delight. "What are you doing here?"

"What do you think? I was heading to St. Binah to resume my duty towards you, and found so many of the city's soldiers dead! I heard you'd been kidnapped!"

"I was, but I'm better now," Aeli assured her. "But you came to Grand Chokma…?"

"I was told that you'd be here after you were rescued…so here I am. I'll do my best to take care of you!"

After a time they were finally admitted…and shortly thereafter Kalan, with Eishun, Jynx, and Gato, were seated before McGovern.

"Under the circumstances, we're rather grateful to see you again," sighed the old man. "Your arrival caused a bit of a stir, but despite the poor reception you received—I do apologize for that—most of the top brass are considering this rather lucky fortune." He glanced at Gato briefly. "I see you've acquired a new companion. What do you have to report?"

"The second kidnapping at St. Binah involved the Glabados Church," Kalan explained. "Divine Knight Folmarv was the one who conducted it…the few witnesses left alive at St. Binah can probably attest to that. He hid her in a church of Glabados. There isn't much more we know at the moment…just that Folmarv was trying to use her kidnapping to expand the war by inciting Grandall to declare war on Halteese. Our new companion here, Gato Kagura Vandenberg, has been trying to track down this group for sometime, and so we've joined forces with him. We'd like permission to use Grand Chokma as our base of operations as we try to investigate this faction further."

McGovern nodded. "I think that's something even the most stubborn and suspicious generals can agree to. We'd certainly like to ask Mr. Higurashi and Mr. Vandenberg to devote their energies to this if we could…but you and Mr. Black might be put to better use guarding the princess."

Kalan looked at McGovern seriously for a moment. "Excuse me?" he asked carefully. "May I ask why?"

McGovern chuckled. "Because you're children." He held up a hand to forestall Kalan's protest. "Now, I understand that you have a great deal of power, despite your youth—you've done remarkable things already. You already appear to be far stronger than any of the soldiers under my command. However, this is not a matter of…military prowess, rather, it is a matter of social acceptance. Even if you are a prodigy of magic and martial arts, you are still a ten-year-old child…and that means that mingling with the types of characters that are behind this situation might be a little difficult for you.

"Now, if these people are as dangerous as you say, and if they are still interested in the princess, then they may target her even here in Grand Chokma…and as we've already seen, as impressive a knight as Saber is, she might not be enough on her own to defend against these enemies. You and Mr. Black, both being young, would probably be worth more to the effort by focusing your attentions on making sure she remains safe.

"Of course, you are free to strategize and discuss any findings that your allies procure. In certain situations, if they need to, they are free to call on your help, particularly for any combat. But to lead this endeavor…we'll rely on your friends' detective work. From this point on, you'll be reporting your information to Councilor McGill—this kind of situation is more up his alley."

Kalan sighed. "I get it. Okay…I guess I'll just try to see this as…a vacation or something…."

Kamo chuckled. "Enjoy it while you can, Kiddo. There won't be that much of it in the future, I think."

"A vacation sounds good," Jynx agreed fervently. "Personally, I think it'll be nice to have some peace and quiet for once…."

"And so the days of 'peace and quiet' began," Aiden narrated as some of the scenes played out. "As glorified 'nurse-maid' and 'babysitter', Kalan and Jynx escorted the ladies around the town while Gato called upon his contacts in the Halteese Republic and other places, and Eishun used his own name to gain information within the city itself, and particularly those areas Gato couldn't reach.

"For the most part, it's probably a pretty boring time," he continued. "Oh, wait…."

8-8-8

"The trip to Keterburg was canceled?" Aeli asked. "Oh, that's too bad…I was hoping to go…."

"It's December," Jynx marveled. "Keterburg's in the north, isn't it? It's gotta be _real_ cold and snowy there…it's bad enough here. Why would you want to go there?"

Aeli looked at Jynx with complete surprise. "Why, isn't Emperor Karl's youngest son, Peony Upala Grandall, staying at Keterburg right now? I was hoping to go meet him. He is, after all, supposed to be my eventual husband, isn't he?"

"Ah, well, that is…" Saber attempted. "The, the espousal…isn't official yet…."

"No, but I'm not deaf or mindless," Aeli put in. "I've heard all the talk, and I can see the writing on the wall. The situations of royalty being what they are, it's pretty obvious where this is headed."

"Yeah, it is pretty obvious," Kalan agreed. "I'm surprised you're so calm about it, however…I'd thought you'd stubbornly want to avoid meeting your prospective fiancé for as long as possible."

"Really?" Aeli replied coyly. "An interesting thought, Kalan. Are you jealous?"

"Jealous? No, not really. I'm certainly glad I don't have my future partner already picked out for me. When I get married, it's going to be to the person I love and care about most."

"Oooo. So, what kind of girl is that going to be…?"

"I don't know. I haven't thought about it too much. But that's gotta be a long, long way off—I really don't envy you having your husband chosen when you're so young..."

"Well, I do appreciate your concern for me…."

"But why was the trip canceled?" Jynx asked Saber, trying to ignore the dueling pair.

"Well, we don't know the details…apparently there was some sort of magical disaster. His Highness is studying under a magical tutor, a Professor Gelda Nebilim, along with a few local children his age…something might have happened to her…."

"I've heard that name before," Kalan suddenly put in, joining this new conversation. "Gelda Nebilim…she was part of the military, and a member of the military's Magical Research Division. A master mage, she was working on the development of a 'Planetary Magic Art', some kind of magical atom bomb or something. Then she suddenly quit the project and left the military, and no one could change her mind. Sounds like she made a smart decision, if you ask me…."

Aeli sighed. "Well, in any case, if we aren't making any trips, I'd like to head into the town and see the Christmas decorations on display. I hear this town has some good ones…." She turned back to the three. "Kalan, why don't you be a gentleman and take me out to see them? Saber, Jynx, you should stay here."

"But…!" Saber began in protest.

"Please, Saber, I'm tired of having a whole train following me all the time," Aeli pleaded. "Kalan can take care of me for a little stroll through town. More importantly, Gato was saying that he might have something…it's better if you stay here in case he comes with news. And, of course, since both of you are contracted to Kalan already, if it's necessary he can summon both of you to us…right?"

Saber sighed. "F-fine then…."

"Well then, enjoy yourselves…" Mira agreed with her.

8-8-8

Gato sat at a desk in a special lounge on an upper level of Grand Chokma's palace, pouring over the papers he had received and comparing it to the computer screens he had up—floating magically in the air. The scene definitely had an impressive magic/science feel to it, at least for the girls not yet used to some of magic's conveniences.

Gato, within the film, had other concerns, of course. Kamo appeared on his desk and looked up at his shocked face. "This…can't be right…" Gato muttered.

"What's up?" Kamo demanded curiously. "You look pretty serious…."

"Oh, Kamo. Actually, I just got my hands on a file that will definitely get us closer to the truth about our enemy. But this information is just so hard to believe. I mean, the source is reliable, but…." Gato just shook his head, muttering. "I don't know if I should believe it's true or not, if it's proper to believe this information or not, but…if it is true, then their actions are…."

"Well, spit it out already!" Kamo demanded, hopping over to look at Gato's notes. "What's so amazing? Oh…."

"Yes, this is the most probable. It seems _he_ has some connection to these people, whoever they are…."

"T-this is…the Emperor's consul!? These guys go up _that_ far, all the way to Grandall's number two, Emperor Karl's right-hand man!? This is serious…!"

"We don't have any definite proof, so we can't discuss this with anyone yet, not even our comrades. We don't know when someone could be…."

An explosion was clearly visible out the window, across the water in the middle of the city. Gato and Kamo both stared that direction. "Oh…that doesn't look good," Kamo muttered.

8-8-8

Kalan appeared clear of the billowing smoke with Aeli in his arms. "Are you all right, Princess?" Kalan demanded.

"Yes," Aeli replied with surprising calm. "Thank you."

Kalan set Aeli on her feet and turned back to the smoking ruin in disbelief. "I can't believe it…we knew they might try and come after you again, but even so, to think they'd use a spell that big in the middle of the city! At least I got enough of the citizens clear, so there shouldn't be any casualties…."

"Hmm, were they after me…or you?" Aeli said sweetly. "Considering what you've already done to them…."

"Very funny." But Kalan smiled nonetheless. "Still, this is a golden opportunity. They've fled, but I should be able to track them from here…for now, let me take you back to the castle real quick, and then I'll be on their trail…."

Aeli grabbed hold of Kalan's cloak. "Wait. Let me go too!"

This took Kalan aback. "Umm…what?" he demanded.

"It'd be dangerous to leave me by myself, even for a moment," she pointed out. "And taking me back would take too much time…as would calling for help. If you want to find them at their lair, we should go as soon as possible…and my magic could actually prove useful, you know."

Kalan hesitated for just a second before smiling. "Sure. Why not? We'll just have to keep this a secret from Saber until after we've busted up their base…."

8-8-8

Approximately twenty hours later….

Eishun stood there, his eyes closed, one finger on his temple, breathing in and out slowly and deeply. Despite his breathing exercises, his emotions still exploded out when he finally allowed himself to speak. "…So. You ended up dragging her Highness Princess Aeli around all night!? And you even made her help you destroy this 'enemy headquarters' you found!? What kind of nightlife do you lead, anyway!?"

"Well, we let the local authorities clean up," Kalan insisted, pointing at the television screen that was playing local news:

"Early this morning, a mysterious boy calling himself an 'Ally of Justice' was involved in…."

"Kalan, I thought you had more sense than this! There's no sense in destroying one of their branch offices! That's why Gato and I are trying to investigate undercover, after all! Just what were you planning to do if you let her Highness get hurt!?"

"I would never let her get hurt," Kalan continued calmly. "I was with her the entire time, so there was no danger. Besides, when it came to the nitty-gritty, I went ahead and called those two in as well." He pointed at Saber and Jynx, seated nearby.

"Only after you were already neck-deep in it," Saber said coldly, trying to keep her own emotions in check. "Why, dare I ask, didn't you summon me the instant you were attacked?"

"Because you wouldn't have let the two of us go, obviously. She really wanted to go with me, after all…."

"That has to be a lie!" Eishun insisted. "You must have forced her to go! How are we supposed to apologize for putting a princess through all of that!? After all she's gone through already, I'm surprised Saber hasn't already demanded that you commit _seppuku_ for this travesty!"

"Please, Eishun, calm down, or you'll grow gray-haired before your time."

Eishun turned as Aeli entered. As he started to open his mouth, she held up a hand to forestall him. "Kalan is telling you the truth, Eishun. I'm quite tired of you all doing your part while I have to stay safely hidden. You should be praising him, not lecturing him." She held up a scroll. "Besides, we got the proof you needed!"

The group gathered around as Aeli unfurled it and allowed it to activate. The face of the Consul appeared, giving instructions to 'an officer in Dalkian territory', instructing them to attack the border with their disguised Grandall troops. It was a lengthy message, but it made it quite clear that this man was at the heart of this war….

8-8-8

Councilor McGill slumped back in his seat as Gato told him the news, but he managed to keep the phone in his hand. "The Consul is taking part in terrorism? You're sure about this, Investigator Vandenberg?"

"Yes, sir. We have evidence that proves it."

The other man sighed in relief. "This is heavy, but…well done. If we do this right, we may be able to stop this meaningless war from growing any worse. We'll call the Praetor and begin the impeachment proceedings. Bring the evidence and Kalan with you."

"Understood, sir."

8-8-8

"That should have been the ending, right there," Aiden noted as the camera showed Kalan, Eishun and Gato entering the Councilor's office. "It should have been the ending, but…it was just the beginning…."

8-8-8

"Councilor McGill."

The Councilor glanced up from the paperwork on his desk. "Ah, Inspector Vandenberg. Good work. I take it you still have the original evidence?"

"Yes…." Gato looked around curiously. "Has the Praetor not arrived yet?"

McGill rose and turned around, walking to the massive window at the back of his room and looking out over the Floating City's lights as they lit up the night down below. "I'm afraid that the Praetor will not be able to join us."

Gato considered the man carefully. "…Pardon?"

"I thought a bit after our talk. The war is going well for us…we finally have victory in our hands. It would be…somewhat unsettling to create a ruckus and tarnish the mood now, don't you think?"

"…I see."

"No, no," the Councilor insisted, turning back to them. "That isn't just my opinion. There are simply many who feel this way. The timing isn't right. We'll wait for now. I'm sure you're all disappointed, but we'll need to just let it go for the time being…."

"Hold it," Kalan interrupted suddenly. "You're not Councilor McGill. Who are you?"

McGill's eyes narrowed. He started to open his mouth…and his head exploded in flame.

Gato and Eishun stared in shock and then looked at Kalan's extended hand. "K-Kalan!?" Eishun gasped. "What are you doing!? You just set the Councilor's head on fire!"

"Shut up and take a closer look," Kalan growled. "That's…even less effective than I thought it would be…."

The flame flared up, completely obscuring the figure…and then it faded away to reveal a new, much younger man, apparently in his late teens or early twenties. And yet, despite that age, despite his red hair and yellow eyes being different, he was so very eerily similar in appearance to the Eminus that the audience all now knew so well….

"You catch on quick, young 'Archmage'," Eminus informed him. "I can't believe you saw through that so easily. It seems I'll have to do more research." He smiled slightly. "I regret to inform you that the real Councilor McGill is already resting at the bottom of Chokma Bay."

"You…!" Kalan powered himself and started to charge in….

Two beings materialized at his flanks, however, both older and larger than the Eminus clone, mostly humanoid male, but with eerie, inhuman eyes. "You will not pass."

"Take this."

An explosion engulfed Kalan, but an instant later he reappeared next to his comrades. "Well…these guys seem pretty tough…."

"They appear rather similar to the beings we fought back at that church," Gato noted, putting his hands in his pockets. "Well, shall we?"

Eishun engaged the man with the long blond hair, deflecting his lightning strikes. Gato began to engage the man with the long red hair, forcing him back. Kalan once again went after the smaller man in the navy blue suit. "I am Prios Eminus, the Eminus of Fire," he declared. "I shall give you that, before I kill you."

"Thanks. Another name to add to my trophy pile," Kalan murmured blandly. "I'm collecting some impressive ones, I guess…."

His sword came out of his cloak and Eminus blocked the strikes with his arms. He hurled flames Kalan's way, but Kalan waved his off-hand in unison with it, blocking or canceling every blast of flame before it touched him. Eminus repelled a few more of Kalan's strikes and then leapt back. "I see. You truly are a formidable mage and fighter, even if you are nothing but an infant human. I shall have to take special care." He then put a hand to his ear. "I-it's me, Councilor McGill!" he declared in McGill's voice. "Yes! We have traitors! Yes, they're trying to assassinate me…. Yes, send reinforcements, quickly! Lockeheart, Vandenberg, and Higurashi! They must be spies for Dalkia! Their partners must be with them, too!"

"Oh…he's got us," Gato murmured as he dueled with the other flame conjuring man.

"The heck with that!" Kalan cursed. He had not been standing idly by…even while Eminus spoke he had been engaging him, but the man was able to repel and resist his attacks while he made his report. Finally, as he finished, he unleashed a great burst of fire that forced Kalan back.

The other two forced him companions back, and as they alighted together, Eminus stood calmly, one hand in a pocket, the other raised with two fingers extended. "Sorry, but you're troublesome, so you'll have to exit here…."

He unleashed a huge blast of flame that began to consume everything in the room. The three disappeared into the midst of it…but then a massive surge of energy erupted, a beam of magic fired from Kalan's hand. It cut through the flame and blasted Eminus in the chest, rocketing right through him and leaving a gaping hole. The energy that burrowed through him blasted through the great window behind him and rocketed off into the night. Eminus gasped as he collapsed to the ground. "I-impossible…my barrier…broken by a child like this…?"

The next instant Eishun burst from the flame, cutting his foe in half with a _Shinmeiryû_ strike and Gato used an _iaiken_ blast to defeat his foe.

Kalan was panting as he stared down at the defeated Eminus, sweating visibly. "I-I see…" Eminus muttered, with a near-smile on his face. "Truly terrifying—you not only have a large reservoir of magical energy, your 'bucket capacity' is also extensive, nearly the totality of your entire reservoir itself. It is not healthy, but you can exhaust nearly all your power in one go, enough to destroy…almost anything. Well, it doesn't matter…you haven't reached the pinnacle…you've merely seen the base foundation…."

"This should be enough," Kalan snapped. "When we show that _you_ are the only body here and tell our story, with magic to back it up, your little message won't mean anything…."

"That might be true…if there were a body…."

And then Eminus exploded out in an even bigger burst of fire. Kalan, Eishun and Gato were all thrust from the chamber in their efforts to escape the flame. They alighted panting in the hall beyond…straight into the sight of several stunned guards. "I-it's them, and they…they've torched everything! They must have totally incinerated the Councilor!"

"T-that's not…!" Kalan began.

 _'Kalan!'_ Kamo'svoice came via telepathy. _'What's going on over there? We've got Grandall soldiers trying to arrest Saber and Jynx! What's up!?'_

Kalan gritted his teeth. _('If we just surrender,_ maybe _we can convince them all of the truth, if we get some competent mages to examine our memories and use truth-detection magic…but if we remit ourselves to custody like that, it will likely leave Aeli vulnerable…or even the others…as high-up as they've infiltrated….')_

"No choice!" Kalan barked. "Regroup with the others and flee!" He teleported them all away, just above Aeli's personal chambers, where Jynx and Saber were watching over her.

They crashed down through the roof and the combatants (Jynx, Saber, and a handful of stunned guards) all turned to stare at them. Kalan gestured and the guards all slumped, unconscious. "W-what's going on, Kalan- _dono_!?" Saber demanded.

"The enemy replaced Councilor McGill, and managed to frame us for his death, too," Kalan growled. "As high up as they seem to be located, we haven't a prayer of proving our innocence. For now, Grandall sees us as a deadly enemy…we can't stay here." He turned to Aeli. "I hate to drag you along with wanted fugitives, your Highness, but sadly, there's no safety for you here. We'll have to take you with us…."

"W-what!?" Mira, who had been cowering but protectively shielding the little girl, burst out in disbelief. "F-fugitives…you can't be serious! The princess can't be spirited away so easily…!"

"There's no choice," Gato said. "These people need her badly as a chess piece…without us to guard her, she'll be a sitting duck, and we have no idea how many councilors and generals are in their pocket. For her survival and ours, we have to get out of here."

Aeli stared at them, then nodded and looked up at Mira. "Please, Mira…you have to let us go. I don't know why, but somehow I've become an important person in all this, and they're right…the only safety I have is with them. I know you're not cut out for these things…we'll have to leave you behind. But don't worry, Kalan and Saber will keep me safe…we will come back safely, once this is all sorted, I promise."

Mira hesitated. "Aeli…your Highness…is this really…?"

"T-this is heavy," Jynx murmured. "But what about her? Won't Mira be suspect, too?"

"I'm sure she'll be considered someone of little importance," Eishun said. "If we put her to sleep, too, she can testify that we came and stole the princess away, and, as a servant of Kanev, they'll probably just send her back to Orimus. It's the safest thing for her."

Mira nodded. "I-if that's what necessary…Kalan- _sama_. I'm entrusting her to you. Please, whatever you do, make sure she's safe…all right?"

Kalan nodded. "I promise, Mira- _san_. She'll be safe, no matter what." He raised a hand, and Mira fell to sleep. "Now, then…let's all get out of here!" And the group vanished entirely from Grand Chokma.

8-8-8

The screen went black…and then a small amount of lights drifted into view. The scene was now a bar or tavern of some sort, fairly modernistic, but containing some of the medieval flare that marked so much of Arcanus Myrror. Conversations can be heard indistinctly.

"The price of water's gone up again. War is so terrible, isn't it?"

"Let's go check out that latest model landship! It's supposed to have the latest state-of-the-art MagiTech weaponry!"

"It'll handle anything, as long as the enemy doesn't develop any war-airships!"

The camera focuses on a man, older, dressed in a heavy coat and hat to hide his features somewhat. He pushes a collection of photos across the table. "Your targets…are these." The photos show Eishun, Gato, Saber, and Jynx. "And especially…this boy." A picture of a stern-looking Kalan follows.

"What? These are just kids," a familiar voice drones. The camera swivels around to show a man reclining casually in the booth bench opposite the shadowed man. He wears a long, heavy duster himself, with a trademark fedora pulled low over his eyes. "You can't be serious about this…."

"We are deadly serious. These are the biggest threats to the Empire right now. Do not be deceived by their appearances…those three are young, but all five of them, especially that red-haired boy, are far more powerful than any normal soldier…they are all S-Class fighters and, now, criminals. This is a job that only be entrusted to someone like you…the 'Mage-Killer', Aiden Rylack."

Aiden pushed up the brim of his hat to finally expose his youthful face to the camera. He barely looked out of his teens himself. "Whatever you say…honestly, I don't like the 'Mage-Killer' moniker that much. I act as a mercenary just because it covers my expenses. And I don't go in for killing kids…."

"Then don't kill them. That's fine…rather, preferable. The boy, Kalan Lockeheart, is a remarkable personage who has already done some great deeds for the empire and was trusted by some of our higher officials, but suddenly he went rogue, killing one of our high councilors and abducting Princess Aeli Kanna. We don't know why…it's possible he's being controlled by someone from Dalkia. If you can take him in alive, that would be the best…but he's too great a threat to ignore, and the princess must be recovered, or it could mean war with Kanev."

Aiden chuckled. "That wouldn't be that great a war…whatever its pedigree, Kanev doesn't have much military power left, but I take your meaning." He sighed. "I don't like to, but it seems serious…and if the pay is good, I'll grit my teeth and bear it."

"Good. If you like, we can give you men…they won't be regular soldiers, just other mercenaries and bounty hunters…."

"Don't need 'em. I can handle it on my own…just leave it to me, all right?"

8-8-8

The three men stood around the pot, quarreling as they worked on dinner. "This is a traditional Japanese dish, _nabe_ stew!" Eishun insisted hotly. "Don't go adding things like that in there, Jynx! When it's your turn to cook, you can do what you like with your Italian, but don't profane my country's dishes with your Western ways!"

"S-sorry," Jynx muttered, leaning back. "I'm just trying to help…."

"But you don't put the meat in first! You have to start with the vegetables, like this…."

Aeli chuckled. "Hmm…I know what you're called back in Japan, Eishun. People like you are called…' _nabe shogun_ ', right?"

" _Nabe shogun_?" Kalan whistled. "Sounds tough." He glanced at Jynx. "We don't want to mess with the _nabe shogun_ , right?"

"Yeah," Jynx agreed. "Forgive my offense. We leave everything to you."

Eishun looked at them with an attempt at anger, but this sudden turnaround seemed to be threatening to soften his emotions. "Eh…i-it's not like I'm happy to be called that…."

"You're handling this well, Aeli," Kamo remarked from his position on top of the girl's head. "I'd think you would find it rough traveling in the wild like this…we've been on the run for two weeks now and haven't had much of an opportunity to stop in any towns. It's the middle of the cold winter, and we're alone with no allies in the entire world…any country we'd go to would probably disown us. And yet you're so cheerful…." He glanced over at Artoria. "Our lady Saber seems the most put out by all this…."

Saber started. "W-well, of course. I mean…here I am, a knight of Avalon, its princess, but now my charge is traveling under these conditions and I myself am a wanted fugitive…I have failed my post as a knight. Avalon does not recognize the custom, but were I a _samurai_ , I would be forced to take my own life in recompense for my worthlessness…."

"Really no need to go that far," Jynx insisted, filling a bowl (with Eishun's permission) of the stew and handing it over to her. "Here, eat up and feel better. Sure, things are rough for us, but at least we're all together, right? You still have Aeli, and we're all here for you, too!"

"That's right," Aeli agreed, standing as Saber took the proffered bowl. "It's true we're in dire straits…but we're all together here, as Jynx says. I have no future, no kingdom, nothing but you, my knights…we have the whole world against us. But the Red Wings are the strongest force in the whole world. I could not ask for any better five knights than these. We'll find those who are behind this, even if we have no help, even if we must make this world our enemy, and we'll put a stop to this war and whatever diabolical plot it's fueling!"

Kamo chuckled from his position on top of her. "Well, only one is officially your knight, but I guess none of you have trouble accepting that designation?" He leered around at the group. "You're quite a speaker, little lady. You believe in your knights…and I think I really believe in you, too. If they're the brawn and you're the face, I think we might be able to pull this off, even if we have no clues or plans…."

"Do we have any, by the way?" Gato asked. "We _are_ , after all, without home, support, or even an enemy to fight…."

"For now, we're just heading west," Kalan replied. "At least out on the continent of Tlaloc we won't have major military powers actively looking for us. We'll gather some allies and resources while we're there, even if we have to conquer a city or two…."

"That's frightening," Eishun murmured. "It sounds like he's serious…."

"He probably is," Jynx chuckled. "But then again, the Red Wings are, after all, the strongest force in the whole world, right?"

8-8-8

Aiden glanced through the scope at the group down below. "Well…there they are. That took a lot of magic, tracking them down…they're good at hiding their traces. That'll set me back a bit." He finished putting his rifle together and set it up. It was a very large, high-caliber sniper rifle, not the standard Earth make but close enough to be of little change in capability. Aiden slipped a shell into the chamber, charged it with energy, and cocked it. As he took aim and centered on his target, he prepared his magic and stilled his center. "Here we go…betting everything on one shot. This should nullify the leader, and after that, it should be manageable….

"Sorry, Kid. No hard feelings…but at least you'll survive…."

He cast his silent spell and put a finger to the trigger….

8-8-8

Kamo suddenly began to panic. "Kalan!" he shouted in shock.

"I know!" Kalan replied, also frightened by what he felt. _('A ripple in reality…reality-altering magic! This is a SSS-Class spell! Centered on me! To stop it….')_

He pulled his _katana_ from his cloak…at the same instant Aiden fired. The bullet zoomed unerringly towards its target…and struck the _katana_ on the blade, just above the guard. There was a crack even louder than the blast of the rifle, even louder than the shattering of the steel, as two warring realities collided and in one brief infinite instant neutralized each other. The blade of the _katana_ flew, smashing into the pot of _nabe_ stew and upending it over Eishun's head. The bullet flew wide, away from everyone.

Kalan stood there, staring at the hilt in shock. It was his intent, to be sure, and a preferable alternative to what he knew had been planned for him, but to see his trusted blade with all its power now broken and useless stirred his mostly-suppressed juvenile instincts and left him a frightened, broken child for a brief moment.

Gato immediately put his hands in his pockets and powered up, searching for the attacker. "A sniper!? From where!?"

Jynx backed away in shock. "W-whoa! What was that!?"

Saber jumped to her feet and conjured a sword. "We're found!?"

Aeli gasped in shock and stood there, shivering, more overcome by fear than she had been ever previously.

Kamo sat there in his place, grasping his head in his paws. "W-wow…that was…stupidly unbelievable…."

And Eishun sat there, the pot on his head, and he began to chuckle maniacally. "Hehehe…heh…anyone who wastes food…." He leapt to his feet, throwing off the pot and drawing his sword in a flash. "Shall not be forgiven by me!"

Aiden stared through his scope. "Impossible…the ultimate spell of Entropy Magic…the Perfect Shot…intercepted and stopped!? That would have to be a magic of equal power, and…."

Suddenly the blade came flashing and he jumped up and danced back, watching his rifle fall in half. He turned as the black-haired swordsman gazed over the top of his glasses, his eyes glinting with angered madness. "Whoa. You move fast."

"Interrupting my meal…" growled Eishun. "You die!"

Aiden danced back from the man's attacks, mostly dodging and paying for every parry with a slight cut on his arm. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! You're good with that sword! Really, you're a dangerous guy…."

"Don't toy with me!" Eishun roared. "If you're going to fight, be serious about it!"

"If I fight you here, it'll be five-on-one in a minute," he protested. "And I'll have my hands full with just one of you. Well, luckily I came prepared." He danced backwards with an excellent retreat out of Eishun's range and pulled out a capsule about the size of a piece of lipstick. "I did research on you guys."

He hit the button on the top of the capsule and tossed it at Eishun. Eishun's eyes bulged as it exploded out…into a bevy of nubile naked females, which began to swarm him sensuously. "Tip #1: The serious glasses-wearing swordsman is weak against the fairer sex."

"Urgh…y-you coward! N-no, this nothing. Clear your mind and you can overcome anything!" he began to chant, his eyes closed. Then one of the strange fake women clobbered him over the head with a huge _jizô_ statue. He fell to the ground, senseless, and the pseudo-seductresses vanished.

Aiden stared around and sighed as Gato, Saber, and Jynx all settled onto the plateau around him. "All right…who's next then?"

There was an explosion of power and Kalan finally appeared, moving ahead of his friends. "Oh…" Aiden murmured as the boy began to stride towards him. "And here's Tip #5: The red-haired kid has no weaknesses. Special Note: He's invincible."

"I see you've done your research well," Kalan murmured. "Hey, guys, don't butt in—he's mine."

"Heh…I guess I should be grateful," Aiden said, drawing a pistol. "I didn't fancy going four-on-one…I'll have my hands full with you alone, for sure."

Kalan smirked, then charged in.

Aiden stepped into the air above him and fired a shot down that exploded with magical energy. He was not surprised when Kalan stepped into the air next to him to perfectly avoid the shot and began to attack him. "Ho…I thought a gunman wouldn't be that interesting, but you're actually pretty good," Kalan said.

"Likewise," Aiden replied. "A mage that can do so well in hand-to-hand combat…you guys are rare and very annoying. You really are as good as the rumors say."

"Same to you…you talk like you aren't a mage, but those are some powerful spells you're using…."

"What are you talking about? I'm a simple gunman!"

"Yeah, right…and how did a 'simple gunman' use such a powerful reality-breaking spell? That was about the strongest magic I've ever seen!"

"Didn't seem to do a lot of good…you blocked it like it was nothing…."

"Are you kidding? To nullify a spell like that, I had to sacrifice a magical artifact! You blew up my sword! That's a rare and ancient sword from the Takiva Empire! It was a pretty major deal, and now it's gone!"

"Well, you shouldn't have used it to block then."

"Now you're talking in circles…I didn't fancy being shot by that gun." Kalan smiled slightly. "Using a powerful Lost Magic like Entropy Magic…the only good point is that Reality Magic is dangerous, and using too much, over a certain limit, will backlash on you. A spell of that magnitude will have exhausted your 'good luck' or whatever you want to say for days, so you can't use it on me here."

"Sheesh…you're awfully well-informed. So annoying…."

"I'm a magical genius, and I studied a lot of those at the university…of course, they're 'Lost Magics', so I couldn't learn to cast them from the information they had, but I learned enough to be able to sense them. But only because I'm a magical genius. You want to know a secret? Using that magic was your mistake. If you'd taken that shot at me without invoking your reality-smashing power, and I likely would never have sensed it."

"You're kidding. So my ace in the hole is the thing that doomed me? That's a terrible irony…I guess I have the worst luck…."

The two were battling even as they continued their dialogue. Aiden was on the defensive, retreating and firing his gun, causing each bullet to do something different, granting many elemental or other magical properties, but Kalan dodged and deflected every single one. No matter what he tried, this incredible little kid weaved through his attacks, foresaw his feints and retreats, and pressed him hard, exhausting several of his charms, talismans, and several other magic items of defense. He wasn't even using a lot of his own magic—he was enhancing himself with alternating currents of magic and _ki_ , but otherwise was largely sticking to hand-to-hand, only releasing spells to block particularly troublesome magical shots from Aiden's gun.

"He's pretty good," Gato remarked. "He's actually keeping up with Kalan…I don't think the kid's serious, but still, no normal guy would be able handle those attacks. Oh…I recognize him, I think. The 'Mage-Killer', Aiden Rylack. He's gotten a bit of a reputation as a mercenary and bounty-hunter recently. He does a lot of treasure-hunting, too, but it's said that his bullets slay mages with incredible ease. I hear he was a pupil of the Dark Bullet, that secret sniper assassin from the magic war…."

"Mage-Killer?" Aeli murmured. "I don't like the sound of that…is he just baiting Kalan…?"

"I believe that is why Kalan- _dono_ is holding back," Saber noted. "He understands that this man probably still has tricks up his sleeve…he's supposed to be able to destroy even the most powerful of mages entirely. He cannot be underestimated…."

 _('Jeez, even so…')_ Aiden thought. _('This kid is ridiculous. I'm nearly out of normal ammo, and with my Entropy exhausted, I have few advantages. Should I pull the Caster? …No, this kid could probably match its power with his own artillery spells. If he can sense and counter Entropy magic, he can probably come up with a spell to counter even the most powerful Chaos shells I've got._

 _('That leaves just one option. I don't even want to think about it, but…in order to defeat a mage like this…._

 _('But a kid like this…he'll die…do I really have no other choice…?_

 _('…Not if I want to win….')_

Aiden cast his twelfth gun aside and drew a new one…a heavy pistol with only a single chamber and no clip. He threw down another magical bomb to force Kalan back as he loaded with a bullet from his left pocket. He pointed it at Kalan and fired.

Kalan moved back, raising his shield…and stared in shock as the shield was shattered, blown to pieces, and it whistled by his shoulder, nearly shattering it just from the pressure of passing by. Only his marvelous instincts allowed him to duck enough to avoid a nasty hit from it. _('Impossible…a bullet wrapped in both anti-magic to penetrate all magic barriers and magic penetration to tear flesh. That's an incredible weapon!_

 _('It was so fast I can't hope to dodge it next time…that same anti-magic will sap my enhancements, even_ ki _, and I won't be fast enough…he's too good to miss if I can't use all my skills to avoid it. What can I do?_

 _('…Well, it does have a serious flaw…it's incredible, but you can't mix magic and anti-magic without drawbacks. It's not a mana-void—it's a frequency mana nullifier, allowing mana of a certain wavelength, and that wavelength alone, to work. It's not easy, but a masterful mage can adjust his magical barrier to that wavelength. It's still a powerful weapon, but if I put all my power in that barrier, it should hold! His next shot is coming!')_

 _('Of course, that's the solution,')_ Aiden thought. _('And that's why this is the ultimate mage-killing weapon…smoke and mirrors, deception, the old switch-a-roo. Use a weapon with only one defense, and then use the one that crushes that defense….')_

 _('…No, something's not right,')_ Kalan continued to himself. _('It's a great weapon, but it has that kind of drawback—I know I'm good, but lesser mages than I should still be able to counter it like this. So how were such powerful mages as the ones he's supposedly put down overcome…?_

 _('…He's drawing from his right pocket this time. It's a different bullet…what's this one designed to do?')_

The pair of them each experienced the fight in slow motion as Aiden loaded and cocked the gun, their thoughts spilling out so quickly. _('This unnamed bullet, fired from this magical gun…forged from the bone and marrow of my own rib, taken from my body and ground down just for this purpose. The mana-killing bullet, that, once fired, detonates any mana it contacts. Blocking this with a barrier only turns the mage's own mana into a landmine, detonating every thaum of mana in the mage's body, destroying him with his own magic. Only the most vitally strong of mages can even survive this bullet…and even then they are left permanently crippled and utterly devoid of magic for the rest of their lives. This kid can't possibly survive…._

 _('It's the only way to win. Sorry, kid….')_

Aiden stepped behind Kalan, very close, the gun ready to fire on him. Kalan was already turning around to meet him, falling back, his face a stony mask as real thrill and terror touched his heart for possibly the first time, but his mind was working quickly as he implemented a plan to handle this possibly lethal threat….

And they stood there, frozen, staring at each other, Aiden pointing his gun at Kalan and Kalan leaning back, one hand on his cloak, throwing it past him open almost as if he were a matador ready to receive a charging bull. The onlookers stared for a dozen seconds and longer as they stood there, frozen.

Aiden broke first, leaning back and standing up straight, raising his arms and letting his gun fall useless from his grip to dangle from its trigger guard by a thumb. "I can't do it," he said flatly. "That's it. I admit defeat. The only way I could possibly win is to kill you, and I just can't kill a kid like you. I surrender. You can do what you want to me…if you want to kill me, do it. I can't beat you."

Kalan stared for several seconds more, gauging his honesty and intent, before finally standing and smoothing out his cloak. "Well. That's somewhat surprising. After all that, treating me like a kid?"

"It doesn't matter what you fight like, what I see is an innocent kid, someone far too young to be fighting this way." Aiden shook his head. "I can't do anything in a situation like this. I'd hoped to neutralize you with my first shot and take you paralyzed in to the authorities, but the minute that failed, I was pretty much done. I just stubbornly didn't want to admit it."

Aeli giggled and approached. "You're quite remarkable…Mister Aiden Rylack, is it?" she asked him. Saber, yelping, hurried toward the girl.

Aiden stared down at her. "Ah…aren't you the kidnapped Princess Aeli Kanna? You don't seem much in distress…."

Aeli shook her head. "So, that's what you've been told by the people who hired you? I can't say I'm surprised. The situation's far different than you've been told. Let me explain…."

8-8-8

Aeli did so, and Aiden listened attentively. "Well…that's quite a story. And I guess it actually makes sense." He glanced over at Kain and then back at the princess. "A kid like you really could have probably taken me out at any time if you'd been serious…and a guy with that kind of power wouldn't need to manipulate a princess like this with magic or anything. So you must be telling the truth. But why tell me?"

"Because you're an honorable person, I feel," Aeli said simply. "You have a true heart, just like all of these Red Wings. You had an opportunity to try and kill the most dangerous foe you've ever faced, and you backed down, not willing to kill him—even if it was only because he was a child, that kind of action is the mark of someone true. We've been framed and are on the run…because of what we've done and what we know and what our enemies are capable of, there are few safe places for us. We need all the allies we can get. So, Aiden Rylack, premier adventurer…will you become one of my knights?"

Aiden stared at her, and then finally laughed. "So, now you want me to switch sides? Give up my contract and fight alongside you, becoming a fugitive myself?" He shook his head. "Well, under the circumstances I could receive worse offers…."

"That's right," Kalan agreed. "Besides, you owe me for that sword you destroyed. It was a super-valuable artifact, you know…I won't be satisfied until you pay me for it or work off the debt."

Aiden glanced back at the boy in exasperation. "I told you, you didn't have to block the shot. And besides, do you know how much I blew on bullets and magical trinkets I had to use just trying to stop you? Not to mention my rifle…."

"And you could have just given up to begin with," Eishun muttered, finally rejoining the group in the land of the living (thanks to recovery magic from Jynx). "Then you wouldn't have used up all those costly trinkets, right?"

Aiden laughed. "Okay, okay…as I said, I suppose I could have received worse offers…."

Kalan glanced at Saber. "Do you have any objections, Saber?"

She shook her head. "I will trust Aeli's judgment…if her Highness believes this man can be trusted, I will allow him to accompany us. However," she said with a small smile, "there is a condition. We have a spirit of contracts with us, do we not? If he will swear himself to Kalan in a contract, I will accept him as a member of our party without further question."

"I'll second that," Gato said with a smile. "Like her Highness says, we need all the support we can get…this can only benefit us."

Aiden considered them, then glanced at Kamo. "So…that magical rodent makes 'contracts'? I thought he was just a familiar or pet for the Magical Princess…."

Kamo chuckled. "Hardly. I'm a magical spirit from the plane of mana, and I make _Archmage_ contracts. It'll bind you to Kalan's service in mild but very real ways, but it gives you benefits, too."

"That's right!" Jynx said, removing his card. "You'll get a cool artifact like this, so it's worth it for you anyway…it's not one-sided at all." He leaned in close and whispered, "Personally, I almost think they're unfair, because the 'disciple' gets a bigger benefit than the 'master', but…."

Aiden considered this, then glanced at Kalan, who nodded. "Yes. If this is our party's wish, I'll accept you into the Red Wings and make a contract with you. I don't need to say more…they've all said it."

Kamo chuckled and formed the magic circle. "Then here we go! We're not out of the woods yet, but if things are going like this, I like our chances! Let's get on with it!"

8-8-8

The audience watched the power of the contract established and then watched the dramatic poses of the Red Wings standing on the plateau, staring out west towards their destiny. And then the screen went black and started to roll credits (very interesting credits, of course…no actors, just a list of the actual people involved, citing the Red Wings for all footage and Allen 'Jynx' Black as the main producer). The audience began to chatter.

"Wow, Aiden's actually pretty cool, huh?"

"Yeah, except when you compare him to Kalan!"

"That princess is awesome! Whatever happened to her?"

"That 'Saber'…isn't she supposed to be the Queen of Avalon now or something!?"

"What happens next!? What happens next!?"

"Okay, pipe down!" Aiden roared. "That was Volume Two. Volume Three is next." He made the disc exchange with Urahara. "Now you'll get to see how awesome we really are…and these scenes should be greatly familiar to an even larger portion of our audience…."

Mai turned her gaze from the still-blank screen to Kain…still staring rigidly forward himself. _('Kain…his mind is churning so fast…right now, he probably could only fancy, but as we see more…they can't keep this from him any more, he's too smart…he figured a lot out about me long before we heard anything…._

 _('How can they try and keep this from him? How long will they try? …And can any of us be forgiven for this…?')_

F I N

 _Author's Note: The Red Wings Take Flight_

 _I really am telling an epic that could be at least as long as MSK itself in an Act or half-Act, and so I really have to condense things. So I'm paring down most of the potential fights and rushing them a bit, and skipping some events and even adjusting a few things…I would have liked to have Kalan and crew go to Keterburg for the ultimate Nebilim encounter, but I figured there just wouldn't be time, so I just mentioned it in passing. This has to do with Jade's background and history, so we'll learn more about that later._

 _Some portions of this were adapted from Nagi's adventures in the capital of Megalosembria, with his eventual wife, Princess Arika, whose place Aeli has taken. Nagi was an idiot, despite his ultimate power, and was constantly being slapped by the imperious princess for his rudeness and such. Rakan was also present, his own hiring to take out Nagi having come before these adventures. But they made a good base, and the Obsidian Star has gone this far in. There was a little more involved, originally, but I like what I've got. Right now, they don't even have a name for their enemies…they are simply a frighteningly powerful and well-spread evil menace._

 _Aiden's arrival was quite different than Rakan's although again I used it as a base. Aiden isn't an overly bold and stupidly brave figure, and he wants to take the kid out with minimum risk and bloodshed…but Kalan is such a genius he nullifies that. Aiden has my friend Ryan's favorite magic, Entropy magic from White Wolf's Mage: the Ascension game, the ability to manipulate chance and causality. Fairy Tail had numerous rare 'Lost Magics', including Natsu's Dragonslayer magic, and that manga/anime has had a significant influence on my magical world, so it fits for Aiden to have developed this kind of magical power. Nagi was always this kind of OP individual, despite being too stupid to actually learn to cast spells without a spellbook to reference, and Kalan follows suit, while_ also _being a magical genius of Kain's level…or more. He easily sees through all of Aiden's tricks and nullifies each one. As Kain will explain at the beginning of next chapter, he had even come up with the only solution to overcome Aiden's Mage-Killer bullet._

 _Said bullet (and the one that preceded it) came from Fate/Zero. I've already talked about the Fate universe in Rin's introduction; in the prequel series we got to see the war from the point of view of Kiritsugu Emiya, Shirô's adoptive father. He was a mage-killing mercenary wizard who had this horrible magic gun, pretty much just as I've described, and uses it on one unfortunate mage, who barely survives. Everything about this antihero screamed 'Ryan!' to me, and so I've implemented this kind of thing into his powers and skills…and he partly inspires the dark past of Aiden, which we will probably eventually see._

 _I originally planned to have Kalan show just how awesome he is by actually having Aiden fire the gun and Kalan neutralize in the way Kain will explain next time, but as I discussed the matter with Ryan, Ryan convinced me Aiden wouldn't fire on the kid…he could never bring himself to, still being young himself and being utterly convinced a kid could never survive it. I decided that this was a good idea, a better one anyway, as the knowledge that he couldn't pull the trigger would help to convince the party that he would make a good ally. And, to sweeten the deal, I made this the moment of his contract, that being the final convincing reason. In actuality, this being a master-disciple contract, this is a good way to ensure his loyalty…it has never come up, never occurred to Kain, but Kamo did briefly originally mention that the master can enforce the contract, essentially order and force his disciples to obey. Again, it's not something he would do…but this important point will come up a couple times…spoiler warning, hehheh…._

 _Anyway, the story will continue! Next time: The Soul Society!_


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit fictional story, a FanFiction based on Ken Akamatsu's Negima. I do not own Negima, or most of the other characters included in this work, excepting where it is stated in the author's notes. It is not intended or presented for any commercial profit or personal gain; it is simply a story written for personal fulfillment and presented for public enjoyment, and as an honest homage to the fine story conceived and written by Ken Akamatsu, as well as all the other (innumerable) works that find place herein (and their authors).

Chapter Three: The Fury Unleashed, Part One: Plucking Wings

November 11th, early morning, some time before Kain met up with his friends in the city….

Dolnegus was a mysterious individual. The lands of the western continent were wild and anarchistic, with little government beyond an individual city's walls (and precious little of that within), and so the great tycoon, with his enormous wealth and influence, was in some ways a de facto ruler of most of the southern half of that continent.

Kain could not get a reading on the man. He had never met him—although his influence was vast, he rarely met face-to-face with anyone, communicating mostly through messengers and servants. He was involved in many different ventures, and dealt largely in slave trading and other unsavory ventures.

On the other hand, they were all legal, and Dolnegus, despite his influence, never seemed to try to dictate the legality of what he dealt in. Harmful and sinister drugs were outlawed and there were not even rumors of Dolnegus trafficking in them—there was a distinct lack of them in the wild lands that fell under his shadow.

And furthermore, he had dealt incredibly fairly with Kain since his arrival. He (through his messengers) had taken no offense to Kain's flamboyant arrival to save his students, had instantly accepted Kain and Kenjirô into his fighting league and adopted them as his new team champions, and had easily agreed to Kain's conditions of earning the prize money fighting in order to buy the freedom of his four newest slaves. Kain and Kenjirô had, in fact, come to Orimus as part of Dolnegus' entourage, as the champions of his gladiator unit and the victors of his tournament, and he brought his gladiators' team of trainers—Vargas, Tôkasa, and their flunkies—to handle those duties for Kain and Kenjirô in their tournament battles. He had brought servants with him, of course, and had also brought a collection to run his usual tournament café that he always maintained in his own tournament—headed by 'Mama', the workers included the otherwise insignificant slaves Miki, Izumi, Riza, and Yukari. Kain knew that they were being brought as a good faith gesture towards their prior arrangement—if Kain succeeded, he would immediately allow their freedom into his custody, and perhaps, if he failed, he would be willing to make other arrangements with Kain….

And so, with Kenjirô serving as their bodyguard (in his Kôtarô/Kôjirô guise), the four girls were wandering about through the street, marveling at a city much larger and more prominent than Granicus where they had just spent the last few months.

"It's so much livelier!" Izumi remarked.

"And the Festival hasn't even started yet, not really," Miki added.

"What's going on over there?" Yukari queried, observing an attentive and boisterous crowd.

A pair of fighters, one a beastman, one human, were engaged in combat. The crowd was placing bets on the two combatants. "Must be a betting match," Kenjirô remarked. "They're big news here. Sure, the parades, the vendors, the parties and such are all important, but for many, the contests are the biggest attraction. Official or unofficial, small or large, they're all over the place. Street fights, races with magic (including brooms), aerial jousting by Master Riders…any competition you can bet on will be going on somewhere just around the corner." He chuckled and pointed at one of the giant posters. "Of course, when it comes to gambling, the biggest 'betting match' of all is that tournament we're entering—the 'Kalan Lockeheart Cup', named in honor of the hero who ended the war twenty years ago and saved the world."

"Wow…" Yukari murmured. "But…do you really think that you can enter such a huge tournament and win it?"

"Hey, who do you think I am?" Kenjirô retorted cheerfully. "I don't enter anything with the intent of losing…."

"Hmm…even though it means you'll have to get past Kalan- _san_?" Miki offered.

He chuckled. "Of course, I don't intend to lose to anyone, even my rival…but more important than anything, as long as we get you girls freed, it doesn't really matter which of us wins the tournament. But we will do it, no matter what."

"Hmm," Yukari replied with an air of nonchalance. "Well, if you say so, Ken—Kôtarô- _kun_."

Izumi giggled. "Those two are always going at it," Izumi said. "They're a cute couple…."

 _('Hmm…if a slightly false couple,')_ Miki thought _. ('Not that you and he are much different….')_

"Ah, Izumi- _san_ , _minna_!"

The group turned as the devil—that is, 'Kalan'—saluted them. "Hey, shopping? If so, you could have at least invited me."

"Ah! Hey there, Kalan- _san_!" Izumi replied enthusiastically.

"Shall I hold those for you? They look heavy," Kain said, taking the packages out of Izumi's hands. He then cast his gaze on the rest of the girls, holding the heavy bag up perfectly balanced in one hand. Then, to the surprise of all, he gestured, and the remaining bags floated out of hands to hover around the man. "It's much easier like this…none of you should be working so hard just before a Festival like this!"

Izumi and Riza both cheered on the mage and his work enthusiastically. Yukari glanced over at Izumi's worshipful face and felt the twinge within her heart once again….

"Chisame- _chan_ , Miki- _chan_ , I can't take it anymore!" Yukari wailed later in private to the two girls. "I just can't stand it!"

"Take what?" Miki said blithely.

"Oi, just calm down, Hirai," (Chibi-) Chisame said.

"How am I supposed to calm down!?" Yukari wailed. "Izumi- _chan_ is such an innocent girl…what's she going to do when she finds out that the man of her dreams doesn't really exist?"

"Hmm, that is a question," Miki noted. "It's almost as shocking as seeing you flustered like this."

"Miki- _chan_ , she's your best friend! Shouldn't you be more concerned about her!?" Then she seemed to get a hold of herself and sighed, calming finally. "I-I'm sorry…I know, right now, we have more important things to be worrying about…."

"No, don't sweat it, Hirai. This is a pretty major deal for the girl." Chisame sighed. "But you know, the quickest and easiest way, the most painless way, for this problem to be solved would be for Segawa to confess her feelings and then get turned down. You, Hirai, are the one who has prevented her from doing so…."

"B-but…with Izumi- _chan_ in her condition…even after recovering, she's so fragile emotionally…she wouldn't be able to take it…."

"That's true," Miki agreed. "Izumi's never been athletic, but she's not that frail…but ever since she fell ill, her health has been somewhat worse (of course, for all of us this rough manual labor we're being forced through is wearing down heavy on us….). But the fact is, 'Kalan Lockeheart' is the emotional support Izumi needs to get through this…that's why, as her friends, we have to keep up this charade."

"If it were anyone but you saying that, I'd easily admit it," Yukari sighed with only a hint of venom. "But there's no happy ending here…I know that…but still…."

Chisame sighed. "Well, there is one semi-happy ending we could arrange…."

Yukari perked up and stared at her hopefully. "And that is…?"

"One – we allow her to confess her feelings. Two – Kalan accepts her feelings. Three – Kalan wins the tournament (better case in this scenario than Kôjirô doing it) and frees you from slavery…."

"A-and what then!?"

"Four – Kalan dies of the wounds he received in the final match! (Or so we let her think!)"

Miki snapped her fingers and pointed at Chisame. "Well done, Chiu- _chan_! That is the perfect True End to the 'Izumi x Kalan' story arc! He dies, but his love lives on forever in Izumi's heart—the hero who sacrificed himself to save the girl he loved! We need to immediately start writing the script…."

"NO! NO WAY! That's not a happy ending at all!" Yukari protested vehemently.

"You think?" Chisame said. "We avoid future complications…I'd say it's a neat little plan."

"If he's alive, it just makes things messy later," Miki agreed. "It's a fitting end for a fictional character."

"No, no, no! That could screw with her for her whole life! The trauma of a lifetime!"

The girl in question was out on a terrace of the great estate Dolnegus had rented for his entourage, an estate overlooking the great arena that would be used for the upcoming tournament. She was carrying a load of laundry, much more easily than she had when she began working in slavery those months before. She observed the milling crowds below, hard at work in preparation to set it all up. "Ah, even the arena is so busy! Everyone is preparing for the Festival in their own way! I better work hard too!"

She continued in her way cheerfully, enjoying the feel of the soft clean cloth and its smell, smelling of 'the morning sun.'

So engaged was she in her enjoyment, however, she didn't see the muttering man emerging from the stairs until they collided.

Izumi fell roughly to the ground and immediately began apologizing as she moved to pick up her scattered burden. The other party immediately barked out, "Try looking where you were going, you little…." He was brought up short as he stared at the girl. "…Huh, what's this? You again?" Tôkasa growled.

Izumi stared up at the man as she identified him, and started stuttering. "Tô-Tôkasa- _san_ …."

"That's – _sama_ to you, you stupid little girl! And what do you think you're doin', walking all cozy-like with the washing…hmm?"

He spotted one random article of the pile that had fallen nearby and came to a sadly incorrect but, for him, rather obvious conclusion. "Kalan's clothes…aha! Aw, how cute! So you were sniffing around in his clothes, now, were you?" he pressed as Izumi flushed at his leer and suggestive tone. "Hahahah! I thought you were acting a bit funny! So that's what that's about, is it, brat? Little slave got the hots for the big warrior? Well, don't worry! I think you make a great couple! The clueless rich boy and the pathetic little slave! Wonder what you were thinking about with your nose buried in your prince's loins, eh, you _ecchi_ little brat!? Buahaha!"

Izumi's embarrassment actually began to turn to anger as Tôkasa continued his rant. "But man, this could be quite a scandal, you know? He's a world-famous gladiator, and you're just a worthless little slave. Oh yeah, I know he's doing the whole big-shot warrior deal so he can buy you out and set you free. Man, ain't that just the sweetest little thing!"

He finished and gazed down at Izumi's red-faced but fierce glare. "…Oh? What the hell are you glaring at? You little slave bitch…."

"Why?" Izumi demanded suddenly. She lowered her head. "Why are you…always picking fights with us like this?" _('Me, fine…but treating Kalan-_ san _like this...!')_ Summoning reserves of strength and indignation she didn't know she had, she declared, "I don't care. You can say whatever you like about me. But…but just so you know…I could never possibly lose…never give in…to a worthless man like you!"

Tôkasa returned her glare, far more serious and, almost, deadly than he had previously. "…Fine. Then I'll make myself nice and clear now, too. Screwed-up slaves like you who don't know your place, and little prissy rich boys like that Kalan, who don't have an ounce of brain in their heads, who walk around like they own the place just because they can fight a little…I hate the lot of ya!"

He raised a hand to strike her, but suddenly the bear matriarch was behind him, grabbing his arm before the blow could fall. He turned back in shock and fear…for just a moment.

"How many times do I have to tell you these kids are worth a heck of a lot more than you!? And to think you have the nerve to actually try and strike a defenseless young girl!" she roared, chastising the man thoroughly.

She laughed expansively after she had sent the thug running. "I think we really told him there, Izumi- _chan_!" Izumi began to apologize, but Mama cut her off. "Oh, no, I sure don't mind you putting him in his place once in a while!" She sighed and smiled at the girl. "Still, I wouldn't judge him too harshly there just now. He's just a little excited, really…it's been years since he's been able to return to his hometown."

"Hometown…?"

Mama pointed out at the clouds that perpetually surrounded the floating city. "The ruins stretch out under the clouds over there. Twenty years ago, when the war ended, the islands fell from the sky. The greatest city in the world fell to pieces and the country was devastated in the aftermath. An entire country had disappeared…."

"T-that must have been really difficult," Izumi offered.

"Oh, it wasn't that bad! And besides, just because he's been through all of that is no excuse for him to act like a thug all the time! Next time he tries anything, just tell me, and I'll beat the crap out of him for you!"

"O-okay…."

Grumbling, Tôkasa finally emerged onto the opposite terrace, overlooking the busy streets below. "Ah, meh…life's been like crap ever since those damn kids showed up…."

He spotted something. "Hmm? That white cloak…of course, the original Kalan Lockeheart made it a fashion statement for years, but that pretty one, with the obsessive care he takes of it…that's the kid all right. Where's he going…?"

Kain was ducking into a dark, short alley and moved behind some boxes. After a few moments, Kain emerged from concealment…in his normal age and size, instead of the guise of Kalan.

Tôkasa observed it in surprise. This transformation magic was high-quality stuff, even he could tell, and he wondered why 'Kalan' needed such a trick. He recalled the young man saying something about heading out into the city a short time ago, when he'd last seen him, but….

"That face, it was familiar…of course, it was Kalan's, just younger, but still…." And then his eyes widened in shock as he realized where he had seen it….

8-8-8

The significant events of Kain's visit into the city were covered last chapter. Now, leaving his friends' hotel after having had his meeting with Aiden and the new arrivals, he turned his face back towards the arena.

"It's getting late…I'd better head back." He half-sighed, half-laughed. _('But first I have to change back into Kalan. It's amusing…security is so lax here, it's actually easier to move around as a wanted man than as a famous gladiator….')_

"Kain- _sensei_!? Kain- _sensei_!"

Kain turned in surprise as Izumi came hurrying up to him. "So you made it out to Orimus! You look well!" she said enthusiastically.

 _('That's right…this whole time I've been Kalan, at least whenever I was around her…this is the first time she's seen 'Kain'_ _since the Gateport….')_ "Of course I am…."

"Are the others with you?" she asked excitedly, almost ignoring his reply entirely.

"No, well, most everyone else should be arriving soon…."

The two walked a bit together, Izumi cheerfully catching her teacher up on everything that had happened to her since their last 'parting'. "I was so surprised when we ended up here! We never could have imagined that you and your cousin Kalan- _san_ came from a mysterious world like this…."

Kain laughed. "So you say, but I'm a newcomer here, too, really…." He sighed. "I'm sorry, Izumi- _san_ …because of me, you've ended up in such a difficult situation…I've been unable to even show my face to you…."

"Oh, no…it's our fault! You told us not to follow you, and we decided not to listen. I-it's been pretty tough…I've never had to work like this before in my life…."

Kain listened to her ramble with a slight smile, almost glad to have the old Izumi back…but the feeling made him feel all the sadder.

"Kain- _sensei_ ," Izumi said suddenly, kicking him out of his reverie as her voice became the more solemn tone that had been more common for her recently.

"Yes?"

"I-I couldn't possibly ask him to his face, but…is your cousin…Kalan- _san_ …is he doing all this for us just because you asked him too?"

Kain considered how to reply carefully. There was a specific reason—several in fact—why he hadn't appeared to Izumi in his normal form at all. As usual, his overly-perceptive and brilliant mind had come to many separate thoughts and conclusions, but, emotionally unprepared to handle them, especially considering the situation they were all in, he had done what he could to push them aside, ignore them, and put them off as long as possible. The only problem with his escapist attitude was that, when he was forced to confront any of those problems, those feelings, the build-up of emotional stress, came back all the harder when the floodgates finally opened. He tried to weigh his words and thoughts carefully.

"Kalan is Kalan," Kain replied cryptically. "He has his own thoughts…he's an extremely caring individual. Sure, the fact that you're my students makes him take special note of you, but he's the kind of man who would do this for anyone…."

"Ah…it must be tough on him…."

"Not compared to what he expects." Kain smiled slightly. This was an interesting encounter he had yet to handle before, but he was actually enjoying the mental exercise required in inventing his thoughts and sentiments he held towards his 'cousin'. "We're both chasing the same thing…he might actually think that the harder it is for him, the better it is, because there's no harder path for him to choose."

"Yeah…he is a real nice person, isn't he…a valiant hero…." Izumi sighed. "But, you know, Kain- _sensei_ …I think…I'm really in love with Kalan- _san_ …."

And this was another interesting feeling. Hearing a confession in the third party, or something like that, was different, and he had honestly been expecting it, but hearing the words coming out loud was shaking his emotional shield….

8-8-8

Kain sighed as he entered his living quarters (a section of several connecting rooms shared by Kain, Kenjirô, and Chisame that was part of Dolnegus' rental estate). Chisame, in her guise as a _chibi_ neocolom, glanced up from her computer at him in surprise. "What's the matter, Kain- _sensei_? Odd for you to be depressed right now, after Tokiha and the rest finally got here and all…."

"No…it's just…." He sighed again and sat on his bed, putting his head in his hands. "I'm just in so much trouble. I just don't know what to do…."

The youthened girl sighed herself and turned to him. "Okay, Kain- _sensei_ , tell your _ne-chan_ what's troubling you…."

Kain shot her an amusing look, but offered, "No, it's nothing new, but…I met Izumi _-san_ out in town today, while I was…well, normal, actually…it's the first time she's seen 'Kain' since the Gateport incident. She was very happy to talk to me, and confide in me…she confessed that she liked me…that is, Kalan…."

"…Oh, I see. So you found out about how Segawa feels. She couldn't tell 'Kalan', so she went and told 'Kain'…ain't that a beautiful thing…."

"Heh, 'found out'—more like I had it shoved in my face. I'm not a child, Chisame. I know how she feels about…'me'…I knew it beforehand…but…with things the way they are….

"'Kalan' and Izumi- _san_ were a mistake to begin with, a little twist of fate, and it didn't mean much, even after the Festival…it wasn't like Kalan was a hero or anything for her there, he was just a dashing older guy that she met by chance and enjoyed being with. Well, she was interested enough in him to want to keep in touch, and since disappearing entirely would have aroused the suspicions of Miki- _san_ , it was smarter to play along as her e-mail pal. That's all it was…until we came to the magical world. Here, Kalan Lockeheart was just a guise to avoid being captured, but as fate would have it, when I first met her in this guise, she was in dire straits, and my arrival became the coming of the dashing savior." He chuckled mirthlessly. "What a cruel joke. It's all a necessary evil, but…I can't help but hate myself for this, most of all…."

Chisame stared at him. She finally smirked slightly. "How properly penitent, Don Juan. But it doesn't stop you being a lady-killer. Still, this is an interesting reaction. You seem to panic when Miyazaki and Yoshida confess to you directly, yet about her you're so analytical…?"

Kain laughed another laugh of the humorless. "Because it isn't real. Well, her feelings are certainly real, certainly justified, but it isn't _really_ me she's in love with—not only is Kalan an illusion, but, as people will do, she's naturally built up Kalan in her own mind into something akin to her personal saving deity. One of the biggest reasons I have trouble accepting anyone's feelings is that I'm afraid of hurting people, either them, or any of the…the others…and with Izumi- _san_ , it's worse, because there's no road on this path, no ending in this story, that doesn't include a terribly broken heart…."

Chisame shook her head. "I've been around you a long time, so I understand what you're talking about, but I still find it unbelievable just how carefully thoughtful you are about everything. Even considering the potential harm your romantic life would cause? That's just ridiculous…besides, _Sensei_ , by trying not to hurt anyone's feelings, you're really trampling on all of them. Yeah, Miyazaki and a bunch of others are head over heels for you, but if they really care about you…they'll be happy for you, as long as you're happy with the one you choose. Delaying the inevitable is just prolonging the pain…but, then again, your mantra is 'we're still young', right? And that has nothing to do with the real problem: the girl you can never accept, because it's the culmination of a lie, Segawa Izumi.

"Hanabishi and I were talking, and decided the best course of action might be to kill Kalan off (faked, of course) in order to end the romance on a bittersweet note. Hirai wasn't fond of the idea, however."

Kain actually considered it. "I guess so…that might actually be best…we'll just have to see what happens…."

"Well, if you want my advice, I'd just forget that she ever told you anything."

Kain smirked. "Well, I'm good at that…or at least at pretending that nothing ever happened. That's always the easiest thing for me—delaying the inevitable, prolonging the pain, as you say. Izumi- _san_ …."

"Well, just remember: if she does confess to you, be a proper gentleman and turn her down…unless you really want to play the 'martyred hero' card."

"We'll keep that in reserve…"

"It's just my advice. Do what you think is best, and don't mind what I say…I'm not your mother, after all…."

Yukari was around the corner of the open door, listening in on the conversation sadly. _('Kain-_ sensei _…so you really found out…how Izumi-_ chan _feels….')_

8-8-8

The little veranda by the gazebo had become Kain's new deep-thought location, and he stood there, gazing out to see. Izumi's confession had been a terrible blow to him—he had shut up all his emotional attachments, his own confusion over his and others' feelings and the relationship he had, could have, may have wanted, and may have been wanted in with all the various girls….

Not just Izumi's confession, but now, with the dam burst, he thought about how relieved he was that Mai was back…how concerned he was for Nodoka and Kazumi, and he anxiously awaited their arrival at the city…how much he dreaded the fates of Momo, Yue, and Erika…how much he missed Lina right now. Every one of these girls was precious in his heart…and yet by any innocent action he seemed destined to bring heartache to any, most, or even all of them….

"Hey there, lover-boy! Seems you picked up a not-so-secret admirer, eh?"

Kain nearly fell over the railing both from the force and the subject of Aiden's sudden declaration. He turned to almost glare at the man as he approached and some small flat object held between the thumb and two fingers of one raised hand, with the _chibi_ Chisame trailing him with a look of amused resignation on her face and Kamo on her head.

"Aiden…" Kain pleaded with displeasure.

Aiden turned the object to make it visible to Kain…a picture of Izumi. "She's a cute little thing, isn't she? One of your students that has been enslaved, whom you are heroically trying to rescue. Pretty easy conquest route there, Kid…you're lucky…."

"C-Chisame, did you tell him!?"

"N-no! Well, okay, kinda…I was just talking with him about arrangements, and because of what we talked about earlier, it just kinda slipped out…he's really sharper than you'd think…."

"Sharper than you'd think, huh?" Aiden chuckled. "Sharp enough. I picked that up a while ago, even in the short time I've spent watching your group. But hearing about it made me think about that class role of criminals you've got." He twisted his fingers and a collection of cards unfolded from behind the picture, revealing Kain's complete collection of contracts. "But Kamo finally told me about these…and how's this! Eleven contracts! Well, twelve, but obviously, in this case the other kid doesn't count. Eleven girls you're contracted to, and every one of them a real beauty!"

"K-Kamo!"

"You really don't seem like the guy who'd go the 'harem' route," Aiden mentioned. "And I mean, even Kalan only made contracts with two members of the fairer sex….

"But, with this many, your future 'beloved partner' has to be in the group, right? Which one are you really after…oh, here's Momo's card! Really! How'd you convince her to kiss you? She wouldn't give me the time of day, you know, and I tried. Ah, Mai…that would be a fine pairing, don't you think, son of the Grand Archmage and the magical princess he saved? Or is it one of these two?" He held up Yue's and Nodoka's cards. "You're really blushing when I started showing them….

"Oh, and I'll be damned! If it isn't our own little Chisame! So that's how it is, huh?" He turned his suggestive smile on Chisame.

"W-why you!" Chisame burst out, reddening.

"Oh, you can deny it all you like, but you kissed him, didn't you? I bet for sure you liked it, too…."

Chisame made a very impressive flying knee strike to Aiden's face, and this action prompted him to drop the subject…although he and Kamo both spent some time chuckling at the two young teens.

"Anyway, the tournament opens tomorrow," Aiden stated. "At least, the preliminaries do. Although, with the three days of preliminary battles, yours isn't until the last day. Are you ready for it?"

"Yes!" Kain insisted.

"You won't be teamed with Kenjirô anymore…worst case scenario, you'll have to fight each other before the final round. If you do meet, can you take him?"

Kain smiled. "Kenjirô's my best friend, but also my rival…if I went easy on him and let him win, on purpose or just because of my sentiments, he'd never forgive me. If I meet Kenjirô, we're taking each other down, as real warriors."

Aiden nodded. "Fair enough. Your power seems to be spot-on…you can handle just about anything. I don't know if you're at the level to take on your _real_ rival yet, but you should at least be able to take your fights without trouble. You'll put up a fight against Byakuya, that's for certain."

"Will…Kuchiki _-san_ really be there?" Kain demanded.

Aiden smirked. "You'll see for yourself. He's the type to consider tournaments beneath him, normally—displaying his skills for the sport of lesser beings wounds his pride, or some such. But since I challenged him—proxy, through you, of course—he'll rise to the challenge. Besides…beneath that constipated cold face of his, he has a good heart, and, since you're Kalan's son, he wants to do the best for you too.

"But don't get too worried…about him or anything else. You have too many worries on your mind, now, and that is still your worst enemy. Eminus and the rest of the Obsidian Star, that girl after your alter-ego's heart, the bounty on your head, the rest of your missing girls, enemies lurking in the shadows…and, perhaps especially, the little princess (not so little anymore, but still) Mai…."

"They said they'd fended off several attempts at capturing her already," Kain mused. "Do you think…?"

"Chiu- _sama_!" One of Chisame's mouse spirits, Chikuwafu, suddenly appeared. "We've got trouble, Chiu- _sama_! I'm receiving an emergency message from Nanami- _sama_ and the _El-Hazard_!"

"The _El-Hazard_!? Are they in trouble?" Chisame barked.

 _"No,"_ came the voice of Rei from the neighborhood of the spirit, being magically broadcast through the link. _"We are due to arrive at Orimus later this evening, and our ship remains safe…but we have picked up another emergency through the White Wing badge of Miyazaki Nodoka. It seems she and her companions are under attack by the Obsidian Star about fifty kilometers east of Orimus. We are diverting our path to assist, but we likely will not make it in time."_

"Nodoka," Kain breathed. Then he turned himself that direction hunkered down, preparing to take flight….

"Hold on, Kid," Aiden murmured, grabbing his cloak and hauling him off-balance.

"W-what!?" he demanded in shock, then whirled around to face Aiden. "Hey! Don't stop me! I have to go rescue her! This is the entire reason I gained this power…so I could protect and save my friends! If I don't use it now, what have I been preparing for in the first place!?"

"Regardless, it's always a stupid idea to go charging in half-cocked," Chisame insisted. "Your training won't do you any good if you get yourself killed now. These aren't any ordinary bounty hunters we're talking about…this is the Obsidian Star!"

"If you charge in yourself, using all your power, I dare say you'll make it in time," Aiden added. "But you'll probably use up most of your power using your flight and teleportation like that. You can't risk fighting them exhausted and empty."

"Then what do you suggest I do?" Kain snapped venomously, striving to maintain self-control.

"Call Mai," Kamo suggested. "If you ride Kagutsuchi, you can probably get there fast, and save your energy in the process… _and_ you'll have backup."

8-8-8

Lucy and Nodoka hunkered down behind the rock. Lucy gritted her teeth. "T-this isn't going well," she muttered. "Where did these guys come from?"

"Aye," moaned Happy, sitting next to her.

Nodoka risked another glance up. A large bird was flying around, carrying a comatose Natsu. The other two were engaged in combat with the attackers.

Erza panted as she stared at her two foes. "You are certainly worthy of the name Titania, Queen of the Fairies," Van chuckled. "Holding off the both of us this well…you've even managed to cut me, despite being outnumbered. An S-class mage of Fairy Tail, strongest mage guild of Fiore, is certainly not a foe to be taken lightly." He raised his sword. "Still, the outcome of this is obvious. Let us finish this, Legretta."

"Of course, Commandant." The two came charging in.

Erza, dressed in her Black Wing Armor, took to the air. Like most of her armors, it was rather deceptively revealing, black (of course) with silver trim and common silver crosses, and boasted its namesake, the two black dragon wings that emerged from its back. Wielding a crystalline sword, she met Van's attack head-on and pushed him back, then made a slash that he just managed to dodge, leaving another cut across the man's shoulder. Legretta came swinging around behind her, guns raised, but Erza rounded on her with speed and sent her flying with a powerful kick to her side. Van cast a spell, causing a geyser of power to erupt underneath Erza.

Erza burst through the fountain, wincing from the effect, and Van appeared above her. He cut her down before she could react, and as she hit the ground roughly on her back, he came down on top of her and rammed his sword through her shoulder. "That's enough," he smirked. "This is over."

Grey panted, staring up at the massive man towering over him, seven and a half feet tall and over a quarter ton in weight. He was something the adventurers of Fairy Tail had never seen before—the huge dark-skinned man was dressed in baggy white pants with a black sash and a short but long-sleeved white coat with a high collar, open to reveal his chest. He carried a sword belted at his waist but seemed to ignore it, fighting only with his bare hands. His two completely unique features included a hole in the middle of his chest, literally an empty space Grey could see right through, and yet this anatomical lack didn't seem to bother the man at all. In addition, he had a kind of facemask covering his lower jaw—apparently made of an actual white jawbone, one that would have been nearly identical to his own had it been removed from his face.

"I thought these 'fairies' were supposed to be tough," the giant laughed. "But this guy's nothing much. It's child's play to clip their wings…."

Grey gritted his teeth and pressed his fist into his palm. "Ice Make Shower!" he shouted, thrusting his hands into the air. A blast of ice flew into the sky and exploding, raining razor-edged icicles over the giant. The man raised an arm to help shield his face as he stared up at the spectacle, and Grey, seizing advantage of his inattentiveness, slipped in behind him. "Ice Make Hammer!"

The big man, not even turning around, whirled his other hand Grey's direction, smashing through the ice creation and into Grey, sending him flying back and into a rock. Grey coughed out blood and slumped to the ground, quivering.

"Hey, Nagi!" the giant called up to the strange boy, standing and watching from some distance up in the air. "These things aren't any fun at all! I thought you said we'd get to enjoy ourselves!"

"Just wait, Yammy," Nagi chuckled. "If these ones don't tickle your fancy, more will be coming along shortly. That's what we're really after." He turned his head to another party member. "How's it going for you, Arietta- _chan_?"

Arietta stood on the ground, looking up at her pet bird flying Natsu around the sky. "He's pathetic," Arietta murmured. "Such a stupid, glaring weakness. No challenge at all…."

"We're completely outmatched," Lucy muttered to Nodoka. "These guys are no joke." She turned to stare at her friend seriously. "Listen, I'll distract them, and you have to get out of here. We promised to see you safely to Orimus, and no matter what, we'll keep our promise. That's the way Fairy Tail operates!"

"N-no, Lucy- _san_ , I can't just leave you! I have to help…."

"Found you," the man murmured cheerfully into Lucy's ear.

Lucy and Nodoka both leapt up and backed away from him, Lucy whirling around to face him as well, whipping her keys out. The man smiled at them. Like Yammy, he was dressed in strange white clothes, but was far smaller, only about Lucy's size. He had the same baggy white pants lined with black and the black sash, and a _katana_ just as Yammy had, but shorter and thrust through the side of his jacket just under his left arm. Like Yammy's, it was a high-collared, long-sleeve white jacket, the sleeves actually longer than his arms and almost comically concealing his hands as they drooped around them, and this coat was closed, but there were holes in his coat at his abdomen, leaving both of his lower sides naked. His short black hair, carefully-groomed in a type of bob cut, and his fine face, were both rather girlish in appearance, and he had a tattoo or something above his left eye in the shape of three purple-pink diamonds. In addition, a white barrette-like object in the shape of an upper row of teeth adorned the top-left portion of his head.

Lucy, desperate and afraid, spent no time anaylyzing him, however. "Run, Nodoka!" she insisted, and brandished her keys. "Open: Gate of the Archer! Sagittarius! Open: Gate of the Lion! Leo!"

The horse-suited archer appeared with his 'Moshi-moshi!' and Loki came into existence in his dark suit and dark glasses without any levity. "What's this…something more alien to this world than I am," Loki muttered in shock as he readied himself. "We may be over our head here, Lucy…."

"I know," Lucy muttered, gritting her teeth. "But we have to fight! For our friends, and the pride of Fairy Tail."

"I hear that. Well, let's go…Regulus."

The rings on Loki's hands began to emit a field of bright and vivid light, and Sagittarius unleashed a magic imbued missile at the invader. The enemy did a retreat, using something akin to an Instant Step to avoid the attack. Loki and Lucy moved to pursue him, but he dodged both attacks.

"Come now," he cooed, reappearing standing on the air above them. "Three-on-one is a little unfair, isn't it? But I guess you do have to take steps with me." He reached for the sword's hilt. "So I'll just take steps, too." He began to draw the blade. "Strangle, Trepadora [Climbing Vine]," he commanded.

There was an explosion of smoke, and as the three stared into it, awaiting the results of this development. Suddenly a white tentacle came lancing out of the smoke towards Loki, who created a shield of light from his rings and blocked the attack.

"Oh? You're a powerful Celestial Spirit, to be sure, to be able to block that attack," came the boy's voice from the smoke. "Very admirable! Very well done! But…."

The smoke cleared, revealing the boy again…his white suit now included a kind of breastplate, and on his back was an apparatus from which _eight_ long tentacles waved. On his head now was a white bone-like guard that wrapped across his forehead and around to form kind of jaw-guard for him…a rather semi-skull like, mask-like adornment. "…What if that attack were multiplied by _eight_?" he finished with a grin.

Then all seven of his remaining tentacles closed on Loki like a mouse trap, smashing him from all sides. Gasping out, the spirit of the lion fell, disintegrating into lights that vanished from the mortal world. "Loki!" Lucy cried in shock.

"Oops…sorry," the boy giggled. "I misspoke before. I should have said three-on- _eight_."

Another tentacle lashed out, dispatching Sagittarius, and then Lucy was snatched up into the grip of one. "Well, now that the puppets are gone, what do we do with the puppet master, hmm?"

Nodoka hid behind a nearby rock, shivering. _('W-what do I do…? I…should I run? No…could I even escape? But…I'm a mage of Fairy Tail now, too! I can't just leave them! But…I just don't have any power…if Natsu-_ san _, and Erza-_ san _and Grey-_ san _and Lucy-_ san _were all taken out so easily….')_

Suddenly a hand reached out and snatched her up. Yammy held her aloft in his meaty grip. "Ah? Hey, Nagi, is this the one we wanted? It looks like Luppi almost let her go…."

Nagi chuckled as Luppi glared at Yammy. "Well done, Yammy. Now the real fun will begin. We just have to be patient and let our prizes take the bait…."

 _('B-bait…? T-they must be after…everyone…Mai-_ san _…Kain-_ sensei _…w-what can I do!? I still can't do anything…no…I have to….')_

She managed to free her right hand partially and extended it, the odd claw adorning one finger. "Please…tell me your names!" she commanded the assembled villainy.

The six all stared at her in wondering shock. "It seems the little _ojô-chan_ is mad with fear," Van chuckled. "She's the dangerous one with the mind-reading ability, right? But she needs names to use it…as if we'll just give up our names like that…."

"N-Nodoka…" Lucy gasped. "W-what are you…?"

Nodoka carefully read the words her artifact was writing in the air before her eyes. Then she began to speak them out loud. "Yammy Riyalgo," she intoned. "Luppi Antenor. Arietta. Vandesdelca Musto Fendes. Giselle Oslo. Nagi di Artai…."

The stares intensified and the levity fled. _('That artifact on her finger!')_ Nagi thought in shock. _('I should have realized! I never expected a normal girl from Earth to find such a powerful combination of items! This is the worst-case scenario!')_

Nodoka called upon all the enhancement power from her own trainings and her contract that she could muster and almost squirted from Yammy's grip. She hit the ground hard but rolled, coming to her feet and fleeing swiftly behind the cover of the nearby boulders.

"Recapture her, quickly!" Nagi demanded harshly. "Then tear off her tongue if you have to! It's better for now if she's alive, but if there's no choice, kill her! We can't let someone as dangerous as her know of our plans! I'm counting on you!" And he vanished.

Yammy stared in shock. "What's that about? After barking those orders, he's running away…?"

"That girl has the power to read minds, as long as she knows her victim's true name," Van muttered. "She also has to be close to the person in question, or well-acquainted with them over long periods of time. Nagi had to flee to keep the Obsidian Star's secrets. As he said, we should deal with her quickly…."

"I won't stand to be insulted like that," Luppi growled. "Allow me…."

His tentacles again snaked out to find the girl, but even as he attacked she eluded the blows, moving before they had a chance to arrive. He soon realized just how powerful her mind-reading ability seemed to be—she was foreseeing all of his strikes and moving to avoid them with impressive, magically-improved speed.

"What do you mean by bait? What are you planning here?" Nodoka called.

"Clever girl," Legretta murmured. "She knows how to work her power…."

Van's thoughts were loudest about this, as one of this group's leaders, and Nodoka focused on that speech. _('Of course, Miyazaki Nodoka of the White Wings is not a combatant, but possesses a frighteningly powerful information-gathering ability that is quite a threat to us. She must be eliminated; however, as she is one of the more fragile members of Kain Lockeheart's party, she is one they will all feel compelled to protect. Those we are most interested in will be brought to save the captive…Kain Lockeheart, the Crystal Princess, and for myself, the Grandall Colonel Jade Curtis, now baby-sitting more of Kain's party….')_

 _('This is it!')_ Nodoka thought. _('I've got to get away and warn them somehow…this is tough…but for now, I can avoid capture. I just need to wait for a chance to escape…!')_

Then Yammy was suddenly looming up above her. He brought a hand down to smash her into the ground, but, perceiving his thoughts, she was able to evade. Her ability to read Van's thoughts faded as she got away from him, but the advantage was that he, probably the most dangerous combatant, was not pursuing her—like Nagi, he was afraid of his own knowledge being perceived by her. The last thoughts she heard from him stated a determination to allow the unimportant arrancar to corner and quarry her, just in case.

That suited Nodoka's purposes for the moment. It would give her time to construct a battle plan….

She stopped suddenly as a new figure appeared before her. He was thin and somewhat childlike in build, similar to Luppi, with short blond hair parted to one side. He wore a white bonelike article on his head, somewhat like a three-point tiara, and had wide purple eyes, freckles, and two visible teeth within his slightly open mouth. Like the other 'arrancar', as Van perceived them, he was dressed in white, _hakama_ and a coat, with a hole in his chest just like Yammy's, allowing one to literally see through him, and his jacket had a missing section slightly larger than that hole itself. A large sword was slung across his back. He stared at Nodoka curiously, tilting his head to the side, and emitted a strange sound, a kind of animalistic mewling.

As Nodoka hesitated over this sudden, strange new arrival, Luppi finally managed to get a tentacle around her and hauled her up. In a flash he was back near the first battlefield again. "Well, this mouse is caught. Shall I kill it now?"

"She needs to be alive, at least for now," Van instructed him. "Dead bait is less useful, after all. However, the rest of the trash are useless. They may be disposed of."

"Is that so?" Yammy growled almost happily. "Well, it's almost pointless to waste time with weaklings like these, but…." He turned towards the fallen Grey, winding up an arm.

Luppi, meanwhile, brought his two captive ladies closer to inspect them. "Hmm. So, this dangerous little mind-reader is still off-limits? But this girl is fair game…the blondie here sure has a hot bod. Makes me want…to perforate it." He held up another tentacle near Lucy's face and it sprouted a mass of sharp thorns. "Well, little mind-reader? Shall I just kill your friend in front of your eyes? Or shall I torment and torture you first?" The thorns suddenly darted for Nodoka….

And then a red blade of light streaked out, slicing through multiple tentacles, releasing both girls and cutting off the thorny tip of the threat.

The group stared at the new arrival, a man with a strange sword dressed in a cheap _kimono_ with a white-and-green-striped hat and the stilted Japanese 'clogs'. Luppi scowled petulantly at him. "Who are you?" he demanded.

"Oh, no one particularly important," said the man. "Just a simple candy shop owner…."

F I N

 _Author's Note: The Furious_

 _This chapter finally highlights one of the big painful sub-plots of the Magic World Mega-Arc: the Girl in Love with the Older Hero. Or whatever you want to call it—as I noted back in Acts 4, 7, and 8, and perhaps others, Ako Izumi made her mark in Negima by being the poor girl that fell in love with 'Nagi', the magically grown-up version of Negi, first over a major date, then over a big date/event at the Festival that really sent Ako's feelings through the roof. And, as I mentioned over that time period, I adapted a character to this part…but had almost nothing of the original plotline, just a few briefly-mentioned dates. In fact, the concert was a big part of Ako's situation, but I gave the band member piece to Yukari instead._

 _But as I said at the time as well, Izumi just didn't have the angst and mental troubles of Ako, and so there wasn't as much need to go into their relationship and she wouldn't latch onto him as badly…Izumi just isn't that kind of character. She likes people, in general, and (generally) likes causing mischief with her two_ baka _friends, but not as much, which is part of the reason that she gets picked on by the other two. It isn't until she reaches this point, the magical world, that it makes sense to really have her assume Ako's role._

 _We'll get more into her mental condition that led her to this state later, but it's different than Ako, who was obsessed with being a flawed side character of no real value. But regardless, right now Kalan is the crutch Izumi needs…._

 _But despite the time paid to it, it is not the focus of the chapter—the title refers to ending encounter, which is the beginning of a big impressive battle that will showcase Kain's new powers and such…as well as introduce another crucial side character and start an important event…._

 _So, let's get to it then. That character's introduction will take place next chapter, after we learn a little more about him._

 _Keep the battle music rolling!_


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit fictional story, a FanFiction based on Ken Akamatsu's Negima. I do not own Negima, or most of the other characters included in this work, excepting where it is stated in the author's notes. It is not intended or presented for any commercial profit or personal gain; it is simply a story written for personal fulfillment and presented for public enjoyment, and as an honest homage to the fine story conceived and written by Ken Akamatsu, as well as all the other (innumerable) works that find place herein (and their authors).

The History of the Red Wings, Part Four: The Seireitei

It was mesmerizing how the giant wall, encompassing the entirety of the Seireitei, which had stretched across horizons, fell into place, with the gate right in front of him, and then the giant followed. He was huge, measuring at least fifteen feet tall, slouched forward in an almost ape-like posture, with a strange hat (a fez) on over his rather sparse hair (consisting mostly of thick black sideburns with a carefully-groomed neck beard, and a massive ponytail behind him). He wore what resembled a _hinigami_ 's _shihakushô_ , but only a half of the upper _kimono_ , and his otherwise naked left arm was covered in armor. He carried a massive axe with a very short handle but an enormous blade in his right hand.

Kalan stared up at him, as did his companions further behind. "A giant?" Eishun murmured. "Those are rare, even in Arcanus Myrror. I didn't know Soul Society had them."

"Yes," said Yoruichi. "His name is Jindanbô. He was chosen out of all the giants in the Soul Society for this job. This is the Great White Road Gate, and Jindanbô is its gatekeeper."

"So if he's the gatekeeper, we'll have to defeat him to get inside?" Jynx queried.

"Yes…and it won't be easy. In the 300 years he's been guarding this gate, no one has ever crashed it."

Gato considered the giant with appreciation. "He must be strong."

"He is. He can kill 30 hollows with one swing of that axe of his. His strength is legendary. You likely won't be able to just fight someone like that. We'll have to use our wits. We should call Kalan back, and I'll help you formulate a plan." Yoruichi then continued with a raised voice, "Hey, Kalan!"

To the shock of Yoruichi, however, Aiden, Jynx, Saber and Aeli were already rushing towards their friend. "W-what!? Didn't you all hear what I just said!?"

"Why worry about it?" Jynx replied over his shoulder. "We'll just beat him up like we do everyone else."

Jindanbô glanced at the incoming figures. He then raised and brought his axe down in a moment, smashing the ground behind Kalan and in front of his friends. The street buckled and burst up, becoming a wall separating the young man from his group. Eishun stared in shock. "T-that was pretty incredible…with one swing he cracked the pavement and made it tilt in order to form a barrier!?"

"You people have bad manners," the giant rumbled. "You must be from the country. Listen, cities have rules." He began to count them off on his fingers. "Number one: wash your hands when you go inside. Two: don't eat things off the floor. Three: only two people to a duel. The little red-haired boy got here first, so I'll fight him. The rest of you wait patiently until I've smashed him. When you come to the city, you've got to follow the rules."

"Well, I'm not sure about these rules, but if he's challenging him to a duel, he has a point about those," Saber sighed. "Even giants have nobility…."

"Now wait a minute!" Eishun insisted, hurrying forward. "We can't just leave him in there by himself with that guy! The way he is right now…."

"Hey, Eishun, take it easy," called Kalan from his invisible place behind the barrier. "You heard the guy."

"Kalan!" Aeli called. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine."

"Good…but…."

"You guys just stay there and don't do anything," Kalan interrupted before Aeli could voice her misgivings. "I'll take care of this. He's challenged me, after all."

"No! We refuse!" Eishun insisted. "You're in no condition to…."

"What do you know about my condition, Eishun? Have you fought me lately?"

"He's asking about your magic," Aiden put in. "Or the fact that you can't use any right now. You haven't since we arrived in the Soul Society."

"Oh, that. It's not a problem."

"Can you win?" Gato asked calmly. "Even like that?"

"Did you guys feel that Byakuya guy when he came?" Kalan asked simply. Before waiting for a reply, he continued, "I'll take this guy. Just stay back and…listen."

Kalan withdrew a sword from his cloak—at least its magic seemed to have no problems working. It wasn't his favorite (that now broken), but right now, it was all he could use. "Are you done talking?" the giant asked.

"I guess so. But it's fine…I didn't ask you to wait for me."

"You must be a country boy, too. You have bad manners. When someone waits for you," the giant continued, raising his axe, "you say thank you!" And he brought it crashing down on the tiny boy.

The group flinched from the shockwave of the impacting axe. And Jindanbô stared down at the result, as Kalan calmly held his axe at bay with his blade. "You attacked before I was set," Kalan replied dryly. "Isn't that bad manners, too?"

The giant stared in shock. "W-wha…?" Then he suddenly began to chuckle low, and then laugh out loud. He roared with mirth as he withdrew his axe. "You're not bad!" he boomed. "Good! It's been decades since anyone has blocked my axe. All right then…today…I won't hold back! Good luck, boy…you're only the third to block my first swing, but no one's ever blocked…."

Kalan, bored of the monologue, swung first, and shattered the axe with one mighty blow. The giant fell over from the force. "Very nice," Kalan said. "But I'm in a hurry. Is that enough, or do I have to do more?"

The giant lay stunned on the ground, and then jumped to his feet rather gracefully. "Whoa, I slipped!" he said in confusion. "That could have been bad. Now…." He stared at the broken axe in his hand. "My…axe…? You…broke my axe!" Roaring in rage, he reached behind him and pulled….

"Another axe?" Eishun said in disbelief…the giant, at least, was still clearly visible above the barrier.

"That must be his secret move," Aiden said wisely.

Kalan made another nonchalant swing and smashed the other axe to pieces. "Sorry about that, but they had to go. Are we done yet?"

The Jindanbô stared from axe handle to axe handle. "My axes…both my axes…." He dropped them, fell to his knees, and began to sob uncontrollably, his cries sounding like a siren.

As Kalan stared rather impassively at the weeping giant, Aeli suddenly appeared next to him and approached Jindanbô. "There, there," she cooed, tapping his calf. "Kalan didn't mean to smash your axes…."

"I didn't? Oh, no, of course I didn't. Sorry about that."

"There, see? There's no need to cry like that…."

The giant quieted his sobs and sniffled. "Y-you're good kids…you've got big hearts…and here's me, sobbing like a baby because of a couple of broken axes. How can I call myself a man? Utter defeat! Both as a warrior, and as a man, I have completely lost!" He brushed at his eyes. "Three hundred years I've been the keeper of the White Road Gate. I've never lost before. You're the first one to beat me. You can pass! Jindanbô authorizes you to pass through the White Road Gate!"

"Oh, thank you," Kalan said brightly. "That's great news. And the rest of them?"

"The leader beat me, so I can't stop any of them," the giant agreed. "Your name is Kalan, I heard before?"

"That's right. Kalan Lockeheart."

"I see. That's a good name." The giant turned to his gate. "Be careful, Kalan…I don't know why you want to pass through this gate, but there's a bunch of mean guys in there!"

"I know," Kalan said simply.

"…All right. As long as you know. Here, step back and I'll open the gate. Don't be scared…it looks harder than it is." He braced himself and inserted his fingers under the lip of it. With a massive heave and effort, he began to lift the gate.

It was an impressive gate, so it was an impressive lift. The gate was nearly fifty feet tall, and twenty feet wide, and must have weighed tons, but Jindanbô, with one great grunt, began to lift it up and into the air…and then he suddenly froze as he pushed it over his head. He stared with fear at what he saw beyond….

Most of his audience stared in surprise at him, but Kalan was already looking past the giant. He felt the presence rising from the thin man that was approaching. Like Byakuya Kuchiki, he wore a sleeveless white _haori_ over his black robes. His hair was short and silver, and his eyes were nearly-closed slits. His smile was diabolical as he approached. "Who the heck's that?" Kalan demanded.

"The captain of 3rd Company," Jindanbô murmured, "Ichimaru Gin."

Gin's smile deepened. "Uh oh…this won't do at all." And then there was a flash, and a fountain of blood as Jindanbô's left arm came free at the elbow. Gin was already placing his sword back in its sheath. "A gatekeeper that loses doesn't open the gate…the gatekeeper that loses…dies…."

Missing one arm, Jindanbô fell to his knees but managed to hold the gate up with his other arm. Just as Gin was about to remark upon his strength, Kalan was suddenly flying through the gap, his sword out, and Gin drew his own sword again, a short _wakizashi_ , to block the youth's strike.

Yoruichi stared in shock. _('T-this kid is crazy! He and his friends are strong, but at this point they're no match for captain-class_ hinigami _!')_

"You're a piece of work," Kalan growled. "Who do you think you are?"

"Oh?" Gin replied teasingly. "Didn't you hear the giant?"

"Very funny!" Kalan pushed the captain back and braced himself.

"K-Kalan!" Yoruichi shouted at him.

"Shut up!" Kalan shouted back. "Don't bother me right now!" _('This is a different matter…without my magic to call on, I don't have anything but this brute force…his presence is something else, but…I won't just leave him to kill as he pleases….')_

"Kalan…the little red-haired _ryoka_ kid," Gin murmured. "So you really are Kalan Lockeheart? Then I really can't let you pass." He sprang backward and set himself, pulling his sword back so the hilt was near his waist, the point lowered Kalan's direction, and put his other arm just over the blade.

 _('What's he doing from back there…?')_

"Shoot to kill… _Shinsô_ [Divine Spear]," Gin breathed, and in an instant the short blade extended straight towards him, growing more than fifty meters. Kalan skillfully blocked the incoming missile, but the force of it shoved him into Jindanbô and pushed both of them outside the wall. Without the giant holding it, the gate came crashing to the ground. Gin ducked his head down to wave from underneath it just before it fell, cheerfully telling them, "Bye-bye!"

Kalan was on his feet immediately. "Aeli!" he snapped out.

"R-right!" Aeli came hurrying over to the stricken giant. "Spirits of life, water, and light, come to my will!" she chanted. The stump was enveloped by a light and the profuse bleeding slowed and stopped.

Jynx came hurrying in next, the giant's arm floating magically with him. He joined Aeli in trying to minister to the stricken gatekeeper as Kalan turned his attention to the approaching Yoruichi. "Well, that way seems barred to us. Seems like you've got something you want to say…."

"Yes…impressively done, regardless." Yoruichi considered the boy. "I wasn't sure you'd be able to make it that far…but if you're still determined to get inside, there are other ways if you're willing to listen."

Kalan considered the cat carefully. "So, us going in and rescuing Kuchiki Rukia means something important to you and Urahara- _san_? Fine, I'll accept your help…under one condition. I want to know exactly what you and Urahara- _san_ are still hiding from me. I know there's more to this than you're telling me. I'm going to save her with or without your help…so level with me, or I'll do it on my own."

Yoruichi was silent for a long moment. "Very well," the cat said finally. "Listen well…."

8-8-8

That evening the group gathered once more in Fujisawa's house. Aeli had done what she could with Jindanbô's injury, and the giant had been led away by the townsfolk to a large open building that could accommodate him. Some of the townsfolk who had thus far still been wary of the strangers came out, assisting the giant.

"Jindanbô's employed by the Seireitei, but he's from Rukongai," explained one of the men. "He's always done right by us, too, never forgotten his roots or anything. We were still unsure about you…but we saw how you stuck up for Jindanbô back there. That makes you okay in our book. We'll take care of him from here…."

"So first of all," Jynx said, before Kalan could start his usual leadership declarations, "what's this about Kalan not being able to use magic? What are you guys talking about?"

The group all exchanged looks. "Kalan- _dono_ hasn't used magic since we've arrived," Saber pointed out. "You haven't noticed?"

"Huh? Well, it didn't seem like he was doing much, but he fought that giant and that other Soul Reaper guy, didn't he? He's…."

Kamo chuckled. "No, it's useless to ask Jynx. He's known Kalan longer than anybody here, after all. To him, the very idea of Kalan not being able to use magic is a foreign concept he can't even imagine. But they're right, Jynx…Kalan hasn't used any magic. He can't. Technically, no one can. There is no mana in this world…only _reishi_ , in both matter and energy forms."

Jynx stared anew. He opened a palm and a flame appeared above it. "Then what's this?"

"How are you doing that?" Kalan demanded simply. "That isn't mana. You're casting the spell, but with _reishi_ instead."

"Everyone is using _reishi_ , technically _reiryôku_ , or spiritual powers, rather than spells and mana," Aeli noted. "Because…we've been transformed from physical beings into spiritual beings, I guess it's natural for us to subconsciously call on what's available to us—our magical powers were transformed into spiritual powers. Of course, Kalan is such a master of magic he uses spells all the time, little spells for all sorts of conveniences. The fact that he hasn't since we arrived is that telltale proof that something's wrong…."

"Ah? I-is that so?" Jynx muttered. "I see…I guess that's true…."

"But while all of us are 'instinctively' using our magic without problem, Kalan can't," Aiden mused. "What he was doing earlier was…what, just using his _reiatsu_ to bolster himself? For whatever reason, Kalan can do that much, but not work spells. Maybe he's _too_ much of a genius?"

"Whatever," Kalan muttered. "I don't get how all of you can use this _reishi_ so easily…it _isn't_ mana or anything like it. In any case, all that doesn't matter. We need to save Kuchiki Rukia."

"'That doesn't matter'," Gato muttered. "You've proven you can still fight, but that captain or whoever he was gave me the chills—there are supposedly thirteen of those guys. I'm not sure even you can take on thirteen of those without your magic. But we'll have to in order to save the girl, wouldn't you think? She is, after all, scheduled for execution, and I doubt they'll just let us walk in and take her. Your ability to fight affects our plans…or do you disagree?"

"For now, I do," Kalan continued. "If all of you still have all your powers, however that's possible, we'll probably be fine. I'll worry about my own powers on the way…we can't wait for me to get an epiphany or something. None of that matters if we can't get in, however…so let's worry about that, first." He turned to the cat. "Yoruichi- _san_ …you know another way for us to get in?"

"I do." The cat turned to Fujisawa. "Do you know the whereabouts of Shiba Kûkaku?"

Fujisawa nodded. "So…to seek the help of the Shiba? Yes…I know their place…I'll give you directions. You'll head there tomorrow?"

"Yes, first thing."

"Shiba…so how's this supposed to work?" Kalan demanded. "Why do we need these people?"

"It'll be easier if we explain when we're there," Yoruichi replied. "For now, we should get our sleep…we have our work cut out for us."

8-8-8

The walls, which had not been present the first few days they had been in the Soul Society, were still there in the morning. Yoruichi explained that the walls normally were in the heavens, around the 'Soul Palace' of the enigmatic Soul King, the ruler over Soul Society…who apparently did very little in the way of interfering with the doings of the Seireitei. "Normally that wall protects the Soul Palace, but in emergencies it drops down to cover and protect the Soul Society. Congratulations on being considered a significant enough presence to drop it."

The cat then led them out, following the directions they were given to the domain of Kûkaku Shiba. It was a deserted place, beyond the buildings and out into the 'wilderness' of Soul Society. They wondered about the isolated location, and wondered even more when they saw the building…a somewhat normal-seeming house flanked by two massive stone arms that carried a banner between them, signifying 'Shiba'. A huge smokestack was visible behind the house. Two large and burly guards, nearly identical, barred their way, but they capitulated and became respectful upon seeing Yoruichi.

"You know, we have been adventuring in the magical world for a while, so maybe I shouldn't say this…but this is a _weird_ place," Eishun muttered.

Then they met Kûkaku Shiba. She was, to the surprise of most, a woman, somewhat unkempt looking, with short black hair ringed by a white headband. She wore a short, sleeveless red _kimono_ that was open enough to reveal her expansive cleavage. She had no right arm—at least, from the elbow down. The stub was wrapped with bandages and had a sheathed sword strapped to it.

She lounged on some cushions and looked up at the visitors. "Yoruichi…it's been a while." She glanced at the youths following them. "Huh? Who are the kids?"

"We've come to ask a favor," Yoruichi insisted before the children could begin to introduce themselves.

"Of course you have. That's usually the case when you show up. Trouble?"

"Probably."

Kûkaku was also smoking a long, traditional Japanese pipe, and chuckled slightly at this admission. "All right. Let's hear it…I _love_ trouble."

8-8-8

"I see…I get the gist of it," she said after all had been explained to her. "If Urahara's involved, how could I possibly say no? But…." She glanced around at her other visitors, who had been introduced in the explanations. "…I can't trust these other kids that easily, even if I trust you. So I'm assigning a man to oversee the operation. Is that cool with you?"

"It is with me." Yoruichi glanced back at Kalan.

Kalan shrugged. "I'm used to it. Who is this man?"

"Well, really, he's my little brother. He's a useless brat, but…." She rose and went to a side door. She knocked on it with the back of her fist, down low. "Okay, you ready? I'm opening it, so you better behave yourself!"

The door was slid open and, sitting in a servile Japanese kneeling posture, fists on the ground, was a young-ish looking man in various levels of cheap but clean Japanese robes with a bandana wrapped around his head and medium-length black hair. "Hello! My name's Shiba Ganju! It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance!"

He started at the sight of them. "What…these little kids!? But, Sis…!"

Kûkaku glared at him, silencing him quickly. He quivered as she started towards another door. "Okay, let's show you guys what we're about! Shut up and follow me! Ganju!"

"R-right!"

Ganju hurried forward and opened the other side door for his sister and followed her through. _('As a sister…she's scary,')_ thought the group in unison.

They followed her down more stairs—they had gone down stairs immediately upon entering the house on their way to meet the woman—and Ganju, upon command, finally opened the door opening into….

A large mostly empty chamber, with a huge black pillar at the back of it—apparently the base of the smokestack they had seen earlier.

"What's this?" Jynx murmured.

"We're going to launch you into the Seireitei with this, through the sky! I'm Shiba Kûkaku, Rukongai's premier fireworks expert!"

"Fireworks expert?" Gato murmured.

"That's right. Koganehiko! Shiroganehiko! Hoist it!"

The two toughs grabbed a couple handles off to the side and began to crank them at speed. The roof began to open up around the huge black pillar, and it began to rise out of the ground.

Then the entire floor followed, rising and leaving them in the open air, above ground, this gigantic…cannon towering above them. The cannon was up on a pedestal now, a small set of steps leading up to it. "How'd you like that!? Did that scare you!? This is Shiba Kûkaku's exclusive fireworks launch pad…."

"The Flower-Crane Cannon!" Ganju exulted from next to her.

"Who said you could get on the pedestal!?" Kûkaku demanded, kicking him in the face.

"T-this is no time for jokes!" Eishun burst out. "I don't care if you're a fireworks _demon_ , there's no way you're launching us in tha—"

A flying orb hurled by the woman clocked him in the face, silencing him and bouncing into Kalan's hands. "What's this?" he demanded.

"A _Reishukaku—_ a spirit core. You can press your palm against it and fill it with spirit energy."

"Ah…okay. How?"

"Isn't it obvious? You just channel your powers into your hands, like when you cast spells!"

"Umm…there's actually a problem there," Yoruichi said. "These kids are transformed mortals, so they're not used to using spiritual powers. Most of them seem to be instinctively using it like they use mana, but Kalan here can't seem to figure it out…he can't use spells here at all."

"What!? Fine…Ganju, show him how it's done."

Kalan tossed the sphere to Ganju, who caught it and focused. A globe of energy appeared around him. Kûkaku banged against it with the bottom of her fist again. "This is it! The cannonball. Listen carefully…the walls you've seen are far more powerful than you might expect. They're made of an ore that's unique to Soul Society, and rare even here— _Sekki-Seki_ , a rock that completely blocks spiritual energy. You can't make a hole in it regardless of the spiritual powers you use, and it creates a perfect dome around the city, even underground, that completely blocks and even breaks down _reishi_. Since you are made of _reishi_ , if you flew into that, you'd disintegrate. So this cannonball comes into play!"

"S-sis…I'm feeling weak…."

"Suck it up! This is my invention: the Special Hard Spiritual Partition Penetration Device! By infusing the spirit core with your combined spiritual powers, you create a cannonball dense enough to penetrate the Seireitei's barrier! We fire it from the Flower-Crane Cannon, and in you go! It's a rough ride, but there's no other way! That's all! Any questions?"

"Ah, er…."

"Good! Then you're dismissed! Go to the _dôjô_ and start practicing using the spirit core! You'd better train hard…if any of you loses focus, it's boom!"

Ordering her men to take them there, Kûkaku watched them go. Ganju finally released his sphere and watched after them. "Go on, go help them," his sister ordered.

"But, _Onee-chan_ …are you really going to help them? I mean…they're going to rescue a _hinigami_ …what am I going to tell _Onii-chan_ …?"

"Ganju…I told you…never speak of that…."

8-8-8

So they got started on their training. Most managed it with little trouble….

…But Kalan was simply unable to do it. The two bigs attempted to coach him, but it wasn't seeming to do any good.

"How strange," Eishun murmured, observing him hard at work. "To see something he can't master on the first try…."

"I guess spiritual magic is just too different for him?" Aiden offered.

 _('No, that's not it at all,')_ Kamo thought. _('For him, these powers are too much….')_

Finally the time came for them to go to dinner, and, at Kalan's insistence, they all went on without him. He thought upon his problems. He was expending, releasing spiritual energy, but it wasn't forming like mana, wasn't going into the sphere like he wanted it. What was the secret? Why was this so hard for him, the natural at everything…?

In the background, Ganju was still watching him. Bored, he began to read manga, laughing loudly, and practicing loudly with a tennis racket. Little seemed to disturb Kalan's fevered concentration, however.

Finally Ganju spoke directly to him. "You're really pushing yourself. Is it really that important for you to save this one _hinigami_?"

Kalan grunted. "Not really."

"Huh?"

"There's no promise, nothing like that," Kalan said. "I just met her…there's nothing really important about her. But it's something I have to do. She's about to be wrongfully executed…after I already saved her life. All the conspiracies and everything else going on aside, there's no way I'm going to allow that kind of injustice. It doesn't matter who she is. I _will_ save her."

Ganju stared at the boy for a moment. Then he stomped over and snatched the orb out of his hands. "I'm gonna practice, too!" he announced in response to Kalan's protest. "You got a problem with that!? I'm gonna give you a tip I came up with myself. Visualize a circle in your mind…the darker and heavier, the better…. Then imagine yourself diving into the center of it…."

A globe of dark energy once again suddenly encapsulated Ganju. "This is the basic form of all spells here in the Soul Society." He let it go and sighed. " _So_ totally easy." He tossed it back to Kalan. "If you try that trick, even _you_ should be able to do it."

Kalan caught it and looked at the orb again. "I see…thanks, Ganju…."

8-8-8

The girls watched the following scenes, detailing the activities of the Soul Reapers while all this was going on…Rukia being hauled off to be executed. Renji Abarai, acting dutiful about it, but obviously fretting over the matter…but Byakuya coldly accepting, much to his lieutenant's disbelief.

While the captains were being called in to discuss the matter, the lieutenants were called to gather in a chamber adjacent to the barracks where the captain's meeting was being held. The most interesting event to the watchers however, occurred near the 5th Company barracks….

"Ichigami- _fukukaichô_ …."

Kosuke Ichigami, wearing the armband of the 5th Company's lieutenant, turned to his 3rd Seat, the youthful-looking woman with the medium-length black hair, set in a side-tail. Kosuke himself was tall and thin, with carefully-groomed brown hair and glasses over his green eyes. "Hinamori- _chan_ …is there something I can do for you?"

"Sir…do you…know what's happened to Aizen- _taichô_? He…has been distant lately…and…he won't tell me going on…do you know anything about it?"

"Hmm…he's been bothered, I think…something about this execution is suspect…you must be troubled yourself, what with your classmate about to be killed…."

"Ah, well…classmate…that is sort of true, but…."

"Don't worry about it, Hinamori- _chan_. I'm sure everything will be back to normal after this is over…."

Gin Ichimaru was called in to explain his failure to kill the _ryoka_ during their attempted invasion, but before he could be censured, a sudden alarm began to sound, and the captains began to scramble in response….

8-8-8

The group sat quietly at their meal, wondering how Kalan was faring. Then a sudden quake-like effect disturbed them all. It seemed the whole building was shaking.

They ran back into the _dôjô_ to see Ganju, backed up against the wall and half-seated, staring wide-eyed at Kalan in the middle of the room. A throbbing, pulsating sphere of ridiculous energy surrounded him, blasting out waves that seemed to shake the whole world. "W-what's going on!?" Kûkaku gasped.

Ganju glanced up at her in fear and chagrin. " _O-Onee-chan_ …sorry, I…just taught him a little trick…."

Suddenly the sphere stabilized and withdrew into a perfect sphere around him, pristine and powerful. Kalan sighed and opened his eyes. "Well…that's about right." He released the sphere, and it dissipated safely. "That's interesting…this should…."

His muttering trailed off and he turned to his gaping crowd. "Oh…sorry about disturbing you. How's dinner? Any left for me?"

Kûkaku breathed a huge sigh and smiled slightly. "This boy…I think I see what you were talking about, Yoruichi…."

8-8-8

Early the next morning, the Red Wings gathered themselves at the base of the cannon. Before they could begin, however, there was a yell and Ganju came bursting in…a little late ("Heroes always arrive late!" he announced) and in "my custom battle costume!"

"What?" Gato said. "Battle costume? Does that mean…?"

Ganju stomped over to Kalan and glared down at the boy. "My brother was killed by a _hinigami_!" he announced.

The group stared. Kûkaku started and moved towards him angrily. "Ganju…!"

"Shut up and listen! You too, _Onee-chan_!" She was brought up short by this command, and Ganju continued, "My _onii-chan_ was special…even though he was from Rukongai, he made it through the _Shinsô_ Academy on the first try. At that point, his spirit powers were sixth class, which qualified him to be an assistant adjutant in the _Gotei_ 13…he finished the six year curriculum in two years and joined the main force. He became a vice-captain in just five years. And then he was _killed_. Betrayed by the very _hinigami_ he admired as his friends! I was just a child, so I don't remember all the details…but there are two things I will never forget: the face of the _hinigami_ who dragged my brother, mangled and dying, to our house, like the face of the devil himself. The other is my _brother_ 's face, looking happy…thanking that _hinigami_ , who had even admitting killing him, to the very end! I don't know why he did that, but all I can say is that, to the very end, he never hated the _hinigami_. I want to know why! Why didn't he hate the fiends who murdered him? Why did he believe in them to the bitter end!? I don't know…but I get the feeling that if I go with you, I will be able to find out! I'm willing to go into the heart of my enemy to find that answer! So I'm going with you!"

Kalan stared at Ganju, then politely pushed him back and out of his face. "Fine. Welcome to the team. The more the merrier, I suppose."

Kûkaku chuckled. "Fine, then. Sounds like your mind's made up. Don't come crying back to me, you little turd…if you go, you better be prepared to die!"

"Right!"

Kûkaku turned back to the cannon. "All right, kiddies, the show's about to start! There's no turning back now!"

After briefly conferring with Ganju and making a plan with him, she put the bottom of her fist up to the cannon's outer shell and drew a spiral into it, creating a round opening large enough for them to enter. "All right, everyone inside! The sun will be up soon…that'll be the signal to begin the launch ceremony!"

"Listen," Yoruichi murmured as they prepared to enter, "stay close together once we're inside the Seireitei. If we meet anyone of the captain class, we flee immediately. I know you are all strong, experienced fighters…but this is not your turf, nor your war. Our objective is to rescue Kuchiki Rukia…and only that. Do not take any unnecessary risks!"

"I doubt we can qualify any of our risks properly as 'necessary'," Kalan murmured. "But we'll keep that in mind…."

They gathered inside, all grasping the _Reiryôku_ and using their combined powers to create the barrier around themselves. Kûkaku cast a complicated spell that caused the cannon to fire the orb into the sky. She stared after the retreating cannonball when it was all finished. "Be careful in there…Ganju."

8-8-8

The globe slowed as it sailed into the sky and almost became still as it hit its apex. Then it began to accelerate, hurtling towards the Seireitei. Ganju whipped out a scroll and prepared to read it. "This is part two of the launch spell, my part!" he explained harshly. "This will control the acceleration and trajectory, and requires precision guidance. If you want to land in one piece, don't bother me…just work on keeping a perfectly even discharge of spirit energy into the orb! While I chant, I can't monitor it, so you'll have to do it yourselves! Adjust your spirit levels to mine!"

He began to chant, and the rest of the group concentrated. Gato stirred. "Kalan…isn't that too much?"

"It seems more like you guys are too little," he muttered. "I've got this part, but it's still not cooperating like it should…I'm trying to lower it, just give me some time."

"We don't have a lot of time!" Eishun barked. "If this isn't done properly, it's boom, you know!?"

"Then stop yelling at me and give me a chance here!" Kalan snapped back.

Ganju roared. "Ah, you're spoiling my concentration…!"

He stopped and stared suddenly. "W-we're already that close!? Blast, we've no choice! Pour in all the spirit energy you have! Harden the barrier as much as possible!"

They did so, and the massive orb collided with the invisible barrier that covered the city. The Soul Reapers below began to panic and scatter, with the more level-headed leaders ordering a more safe withdrawal and taking charge. It strained, however, neither bursting through, nor disintegrating.

They finally fell through the barrier, as their own defense began to disperse and fall into liquid pieces. They hung in the air for a short time, wrapped in the remnants of their protection. "Stay together!" Yoruichi commanded. "The cannonball melted when it hit the barrier, and the wreckage wrapped around us…when it disappears, it will create a vortex, sending us flying in different directions if we aren't together! Grab someone close to you!"

There was an interesting ballet and swimming-like action as the group struggled to reach each other. But even as they struggled, the energy dispersed, and they were scattered to the winds….

8-8-8

Ganju and Kalan had a hold of each other and managed to stay together during the blast. As they went hurtling towards the ground, Ganju maneuvered himself more or less forward and drew a spiral in the air with his hand. " _Seppa_ [Rock wave]! Become sand!"

The street they impacted did indeed become sand, a very fine pile of super-soft earth, turning a horribly deadly crash landing into an almost amusing impact.

Kalan burst forth from the cratered sand pit and dusted himself off. "Wow…that was a pretty good spell. Really saved us." He turned to his new comrade, who was finally surfacing, coughing up a storm, hacking and choking as if drowning. "Falling victim to your own ability…what kind of a comedy character are you?" Finally Kalan gave the man a harsh slap on the back, evicting the rest of his stubborn dust…but eliciting a glare from the man after his recovery. "Thanks for that," Kalan said before Ganju could offer any protest or censure. "If we hadn't had your spell, then that would have been a rough landing."

There was a chuckle above them. They glanced up at the two Soul Reapers hunkered down at the lip of the small crater, gazing at them. "Woo! Lucky us!" crowed the one, a bald-pated man. "We didn't feel like mustering, so we were ignoring the general warning and playing hooky…but now here we've had two of the intruders drop right into our laps. It's real lucky for us, all right…but not so lucky for _you_."

The man began to do some complicated dance up above. Ganju just stared in shock, but Kalan climbed out and observed this strange phenomenon. Ganju watched from inside the pit, mesmerized by the stupidity of it, and the baldy's partner, a bowl-cut coiffed pretty boy, stood off to the side.

The baldy finished his dance and stared at Ganju, waving his sheathed sword at him. "Hey! Aren't you at least as smart as the kid here!? I was doing this dance to give you time to crawl out of there! I was doing you a favor!"

"That weird dance isn't a favor! What the hell are you talking about!?" Ganju shot back.

Nevertheless, he scrambled out and over to Kalan, who drew a sword from his cloak and sighed. "Okay, you want to fight, right? Can we move away from this hole, then?"

As he started to move, Ganju suddenly grabbed his shirt and pulled him in to whisper fiercely to him. "Hey! We should run, you know!? These guys have some major spiritual power, can't you tell!?"

"It's not _that_ major," Kalan muttered back. "We can't rescue Rukia by just running. We just have to beat these guys and move on."

"Are you crazy!? Sheesh, suit yourself…it's too much for a kid like you! Stick around if you like, but I'm gone!" And Ganju began to run away at top speed.

"What? Did you have a quarrel?" the baldy demanded.

"Something like that," Kalan muttered, walking past him.

The baldy sighed. "That one's running…Yumichika!"

"I know," the pretty boy muttered, and took off after the burly man.

Kalan moved to the middle of the wide street calmly, making vicious practice swings with his sword. Finally he turned to face the Soul Reaper. "Okay…I'm ready for this if you are."

"So, tell me something…why didn't you run?" his opponent demanded suddenly, relaxing, his hands tucked behind his head and his sheathed sword tucked inside his elbows.

"Sorry?"

"Your buddy ran because he could feel that his _reiatsu_ was inferior to ours. So, why didn't you run with him?"  
Kalan shrugged. "Because my _reiatsu_ _isn't_ inferior to yours. I'm still not nearly at my best…not able to really get a grasp on this spiritual power business, compared to magic…but even if I'm only at a fraction of my power, you're still far beneath me."

The baldy smirked. "Cocky little fool." He drew his sword and made a stance, still holding his scabbard in one hand. "Let's see if you fight as good as you talk."

They came at each other. The Soul Reaper had a good style, using his sword for offense and his scabbard for defense, and Kalan, still unused to working with only this new power simply pouring out of him, was not dominating as he was used to.

Still, his skill and instincts alone were impressive to his foe, and after one acrobatic exchange each came away slightly bloodied, the bald man with a cut above one eye, and Kalan with a slight cut under his. "You _are_ pretty good," the Soul Reaper said. "Just in case, I'll ask your name."

Kalan smirked. "Kalan Lockeheart…captain of the Red Wings."

"Kalan, huh? That's a pretty good name."

"You think so? Most Japanese speakers have never thought so…none of them have told me so before."

"Of course, of course! You'd write it with 'Ka' at the start…not as good as starting with an 'I' [pronounced ee], but a great character! People whose name have that character are intelligent and skilled….

"I'm the 3rd Seat and Assistant Adjutant of the Zaraki Company, 11th Company, Madarame Ikkaku! We should be friends!"

Kalan smiled slightly. "Well…maybe later. But can you keep fighting with that blood in your eye? I'll give you a moment to wipe it away."

"Heh. Wiping is a poor remedy…even shallow cuts to the face bleed immensely. Better to apply a styptic." He unscrewed the bottom of his sword and removed an ointment, which he applied to the wound.

Kalan nodded. "Not bad. You're well-prepared…."

Ikkaku chuckled, preparing his weapon again. "But really, to fight a brat like you like this…it's more than just raw genius and talent, that's for sure. I've rarely fought someone like you. Your power and strength are the real deal! Your perception and combat reflexes are first-rate! Your skill with the sword and instincts are top-class, not far from my own level!" Kalan glanced askew at him and he continued, "Don't be put off, I'm honestly praising you. You must have been well-trained…."

"Mostly self-taught. I doubt I have a swordmaster you'd recognize. But I've recently taken down Krovak the Black Tiger and Gafgarion the Fell Knight."

"Ho…but those _are_ names known even here. If you're capable of that…it would be disrespectful to slay you the easy way." He put his scabbard against the bottom of his hilt. "Extend, Hozukimaru[Demon Light]!"

A flash of light traced from the middle of the combined pole to both ends, transforming it into a single spear. _('That…Yoruichi and Aeli called it a 'release' of their_ 'zanpaku-tô _'…the name is different, but it's just like Soul Blades. What that Gin did with his sword was the same…so, what's special about this one…?')_

"Don't misjudge it!" Ikkaku shouted, and charged in with his polearm.

He was, perhaps, more masterful with this weapon than his sword, and he used cuts, slashes, and staff-based attacks with the back of the weapon. Kalan blocked them all and fiercely counter-attacked, studying. _('Misjudge it? The reach of a spear isn't enough to misjudge that…he dropped a hint of something else….')_

Finally Kalan blocked one close-in slash, and his suspicions became confirmed. "Hozukimaru, break!" Ikkaku cried. The haft of the spear snapped into pieces, three of them, connected by chains, and with amazing precision the blade portion of the spear snaked around on its chain to attack Kalan's other arm….

But Kalan, to Ikkaku's surprise, caught the weapon just under its blade, and shot his head forward into Ikkaku's. He then released the weapon and kicked him away, sending him sprawling. "I didn't misjudge it," Kalan said as Ikkaku rose. "That's a clever weapon. You're certainly skilled…but your _reiatsu_ is actually rather low, at least compared to the kinds of power I'm used to. As you are now, you're really no challenge to me. I have no special sword, not anymore, but I certainly don't need it…to beat you."

Ikkaku recovered his weapon and prepared to defend himself as Kalan prepped a finishing blow, but the boy's attack shattered his weapon and blasted through him. "Damn," he said as he felt his consciousness fading. "So unlucky…." And he collapsed to his face.

Kalan closed his eyes and took in a deep breath, desperately trying to sort out the sensations of his friends' _reiatsu_ in the midst of all the chaotic, churning souls he could sense all around him. Try as he might, although his senses were sharp, he did not yet have the experience to discern them more clearly. "We're both unlucky," he murmured.

8-8-8

Ikkaku opened his eyes. He was confused by this. He hadn't expected to open them at all. "Wha…?" he murmured.

"You're awake…you are pretty tough," Kalan noted.

"What? I'm alive?"

"Of course. You didn't seem like the kind of guy I should just let die, after all." He held up Ikkaku's sword, the bottom of the hilt off. "I had to use all your ointment on your wounds, of course. And just a little on myself."

"Ah! What have you done!? I knew that was a death blow! You've saved my life and dishonored me…!"

Kalan kicked him in the face, cutting off his rant. "Oh, shut up. I should have expected that you're one of _those_. Just because you fight doesn't mean you should wish for death. Live on, get stronger, and come back and beat me again…don't go just thinking you should die if you lose. If the world was like that, there'd be nobody left. Well, except maybe me.

"Anyway, I didn't save your life out of pity or anything. It's still semi-peaceful around here, and so this is the best place to get my necessary information. Where's Kuchiki Rukia?"

Ikkaku stared at him in shock. "The prisoner who's going to be executed? _That_ is what you're here for?"

"Well? Or are you going to 'die rather than say anything', too?"

"Ha! Like I care! Fine!" He pointed at the white tower that dominated the horizon of the Seireitei. "There, in the Repentance Cell, near the Sôkyoku Hill, where she will be executed. If you're after her, good luck…you'll need it, Kalan Lockeheart."

"Is that all? Thanks." He rose and started away. "And, seriously, get over that stupid death wish. If you really like fighting, then just be thankful you can keep fighting. Later."

"Wait." Kalan stopped and looked back politely. "How many are in your party, anyway?"

"Seven, plus a cat and an ermine…well, those two won't be doing much fighting, but they're more dangerous than you'd think."

"S-seven!? You're going to take on the Gotei 13 with seven people!? I-I'm laughing so hard…c-crap…my wounds are about to open…."

He got control of himself and sighed. "But you're serious…who's the strongest out of your group?"

Kalan was silent for a moment. "…Even now, it would have to be me. If I ever get a handle on this spiritual power business, there will be no question."

"I see. Then you should beware my captain. He will only fight the strongest…he'll ignore the others."

"Is that so? He must be strong."

"You'll find out for yourself…if you meet him. His name is Zaraki Kenpachi. He'll know yours, be sure."

8-8-8

Kalan left his little safe zone and found the going tougher. Not that the rest of the Soul Reapers around were a threat…but the sheer numbers of them led him to the wearying task of going from battle to battle as he tracked down Ganju. He estimated that the Soul Reaper pursuing Ganju was more powerful than he was, although not by much…spirit for spirit, they were evenly-enough matched that he could not gauge which of the two would have advantage over the other, considering how little he knew about either. But when he saw the explosion in the sky that quite resembled fireworks and noticed the drop of a defeated spiritual signature, he decided Ganju must have proved the victor and started that direction. Soon enough he found Ganju…pursued by another horde of Soul Reapers. They joined up and considered the situation as they found themselves surrounded.

"There are so many of them," Kalan complained. "It's like a bad video game, with never-ending hordes of enemies to defeat. This is getting monotonous."

"I know," Ganju sighed. "Even if you're taking them down, this much will wear even you out, kid…."

Suddenly there was a commotion in the crowd and a skinny little Soul Reaper was ejected from it to sprawl at the feet of the pair. He wore no _zanpaku-tô_ and instead had some kind of bag slung around his torso. The two gazed down at him, considering him carefully. "There might be a way out of this," Ganju said slowly.

"By all means," Kalan muttered back. "If it slows them down, at least, go for it."

"Um, h-hello…" the prone figure murmured, a wide-eyed youth (still quite a bit older than Kalan) with short black hair. "Um, you are…you…aren't the _ryoka_ , are you?"

Ganju swept the figure up and held him at bay, his short blade to the boy's throat. "Okay, you guys don't move if you don't want the hostage here hurt!"

The young man panicked and begged for his life, without thrashing around or complicating matters, acting properly terrified—an ideal hostage.

The other Soul Reapers, however, seemed astounded that Ganju was trying this tactic. Then, as one, they burst out laughing. "Are you crazy!? We're the 11th Company! A bunch of rough-and-tumble fighters who live and die by the sword and sword alone! That little wimp's a 4th Company trooper, the lowest-of-the-low! Calling them a trooper is an insult to soldiers! They're the relief squad, the medics, the people good for nothing but cleaning the trash in the Seireitei! We don't care about him at all! We _hate_ 4th Company! Go ahead and kill him! That's like a bonus for us!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Ganju insisted as his captive also panicked from this declaration. "Isn't that just _too_ cold-blooded!? You guys are rotten!"

"I guess there's nothing to do but fight…" Kalan sighed….

And then a blast of energy erupted in front of them, wiping out several walls and the whole army standing in the way. "Oh…that was interesting," Kalan remarked. He whirled around and barged into the group behind. "So now they've only got half the numbers…break through and escape!"

The Soul Reapers were scattered by Kalan's attack, and Ganju instinctively followed him, still wondering what was going on. Gato finally emerged from the hole in the wall and looked around. "Hmm. Sensing this _reiatsu_ is difficult. I could have sworn I sensed somebody here…oh well. At least there's some peace and quiet for once…."

8-8-8

A hole was blasted into the wall near his head. Ikkaku Madarame was lying in the general relief station of the 4th Company, bound up with bandages over his wounds. He was not looking at his assailant, the strangely-garbed captain of 12th Company, Mayuri Kurotsuchi. Black face paint and strange coiffing kept his face concealed and yet all the more remarkable, as well as other accoutrements that made him the most bizarre-looking captain of the Soul Society. For all his appearance showed strangeness, his heart was the darker and more alien. He gazed down at the 3rd Seat of 11th Company, demanding information on the _ryoka_. "You were defeated in disgrace!?" he seethed. "Truly!? You know nothing of the enemy that defeated you!?"

"That's right," Ikkaku replied calmly. "I did not see his face or learn his name, or anything about him. I have nothing to tell you, Kurotsuchi- _taichô_."

Angered, Mayuri raised a hand and flexed his long fingernails. "Very well…your punishment shall be commensurate with your disgrace!"

And then a strong hand grabbed his wrist, holding it in place. Mayuri glanced over his shoulder at the huge man, also quite unique with his eye-patch, scarred face, and spiked hair with the bells on the end of the spikes. His _haori_ was roughshod and his katana had the look of a worn and uncared-for sword. "This is irregular. Since when were you authorized to punish the men of other companies?" he demanded.

"Zaraki Kenpachi!" the strange man growled, naming the intruder. He tore his hand from Kenpachi's grasp and sighed. "I can do nothing if his captain is here. I'll go, for now. Nemu! Come, you idiot, we're going!" He stormed out, with his rather robot-like female lieutenant following after him.

Once they left, Kenpachi turned to his bald subordinate. "Captain…" Ikkaku murmured. Kenpachi's pink-haired little girl lieutenant poked her head out from above Kenpachi's shoulder. "Oh, Lieutenant!"

"Hey! We were worried about you, Baldy!" the little girl said.

"I told you not to call me that, twerp…."

"It appears that you lost," Kenpachi said, interrupting the spat.

"I'm sorry. I know it was shameful to lose and return alive, but…."

"Is he that good?"

"He is."

"Describe him."

"He is just a child, nothing but a small boy, with bright red hair and a cloak of brilliant white. He was heading for the Senzaikyû Shi-Shinrô, the 4-deep Repentance Cell."

"The condemned prisoner?"

"Yes. I warned him to be wary of you. If he remembers my words, you should enjoy a great fight when you meet him. He is strong, and his strength is growing. He professed ignorance and frustration with all our spiritual powers, only recently having come from the Living World, but was still this strong. With his genius, he should have more control and power in short order. By the time he meets you, Captain, he should be quite a prize…."

"Is that so?" The large man grinned widely. "What's his name?"

8-8-8

"Yamada Hanatarô," the man said, bowing on his knees.

"Kalan Lockeheart. This is Shiba Ganju," Kalan replied politely. "You're very polite and at ease for someone we basically kidnapped." He turned to Ganju. "Why'd you bring him along, anyway?"

Kalan and Ganju had stopped in an alley, having lost and/or incapacitated the last of their pursuers…for now. They were wondering what to do…and what to do with their captive, whom Ganju had for some reason carried with them.

"I don't know! I just kinda did in the confusion! Don't lecture me…!"

"You really could stand to calm down." He turned back to Hanatarô. "Yamada- _san_ , since you're technically our captive, I don't suppose you'd like to be our guide?"

"What!? What're you asking him for!? He could lead us into a trap or…!"

"Maybe. And maybe he could help us find that white tower," Kalan argued. "He seems calm enough, and a little too simple to plan a trap, and quite cognizant of what would happen to him if he betrayed us." He turned to the young man again. "Well, but that's your choice. I'll tell you right now I don't kill little guys who can't even fight, so if you don't want to cooperate, we'll just tie you up and leave you here."

Ganju glanced askew at the boy. "You are a weird kid, you know?" he demanded. "I'm not sure if you're a genius, stupid, reckless, or careful. You seem to be all of them."

"I hear that a lot," Kalan said, shrugging. "I'll forgive the 'stupid' part for now. In any case, unless we find a way to that tower, it won't matter if we've found Rukia or not…."

Hanatarô was considering them calmly. "That tower…you're trying to rescue Kuchiki Rukia, aren't you?" he asked softly.

Kalan nodded. "You're well-informed."

The young Soul Reaper was silent for a moment longer. Then he said, glancing carefully at Kalan with a lowered head and upturned eyes, "I know what tower you're talking about…and I know a secret path to that tower."

8-8-8

They were rather impressed by the underground canals they followed…although they initially looked like a sewer system, the truth was that the water was quite clean, apparently used for water distribution and such, although it made sense that somewhere in the area were the sewers to take used water _out_ in addition to these reservoirs that brought water _in_. "This is useful," Ganju remarked. "But will we really be able to escape them down here? We lifted up an ordinary flagstone. Don't other _hinigami_ know this is here?"

"They know, but I doubt they'll catch us," Hanatarô replied. "Only the 4th Company troops know these tunnels well. We're the only ones who use them."

"Oh, I see. They must be used for supply tunnels," Ganju said knowingly.

Hanatarô laughed sheepishly. "Well…actually, we just are in charge of cleaning them, so….

 _('Jeez, the 4_ _th_ _Company really does seem to be a bunch of losers….')_

"Hey, Yamada- _san_ ," Kalan finally said. "If it's not too much to ask, why are you helping us? I mean, I know I did ask you, but I didn't really think you'd accept…after all, even if you say it was under duress, you could be accused of helping the enemy…."

Hanatarô paused. "You are…Kalan Lockeheart and Shiba Ganju. I've heard about you from Rukia- _san_." He turned back to gaze seriously at the young boy. "I hope that you can rescue Rukia- _san_."

Hanatarô began to explain how Rukia had been arrested and detained immediately upon her return from Arcanus Myrror, 'for examination'. Despite that, she had been held not in the 12th Company's Research and Development labs, but in the 6th Company Barracks, where a few mysterious individuals examined her from time to time, until at last she was condemned to death and sent to the Senzaikyû Shi-Shinrô. "I was in charge of cleaning that cell," Hanatarô explained. "At first, because she's from a noble family, I was afraid of her…but the first time I called her 'Kuchiki- _san_ ', she scolded me, and told me to call her by her personal name. After a while, she opened up and started talking to me about things. She had been in the Living World for a while, and she told me some about that…and usually all her talking would lead to her talking about one of two individuals. One was her former lieutenant, a man even I'd heard of…Shiba Kaien. The other was a young human boy, Kalan Lockeheart. She had only very briefly met you, Kalan- _san_ , but she had witnessed your power firsthand, and knew instinctively that there was something…special about you. But, upon hearing that you'd somehow come to Soul Society, she was…rather depressed about you, feared for you…she felt that, just by meeting her, you'd had your fate twisted. The memory of Shiba Kaien's past, or the thought of your future, always depressed her…."

"Shiba…Kaien…? My brother?" Ganju demanded.

"T-that's right…she's a member of 13th Company, which he was lieutenant over…."

As Ganju mused over this information, Kalan said, "Got my fate twisted? I guess so. You could say that." He started away more quickly. "But what about her? She's the last person who should be worrying about that. By meeting me…maybe her fate was twisted. But regardless, I'm going to save her…and put an end to this whole stupid conspiracy."

The other two started hurrying after him, calling his name, and found it surprisingly difficult to catch up to the short-legged young man. _('Kuchiki Rukia…you fool. Worry about yourself first. Your old superior's death, and my supposed destiny…neither are your fault. This is all the twisted game of one sick individual…and it's all going to come down, I swear….')_

8-8-8

Most of the lieutenants were gathered for a meeting regarding news about the invaders. Yasochika Iemura, 3rd Seat of 4th Company, read the report regarding the recent casualties to the group, which listeners included Renji Abarai, 6th Company Lieutenant, Izuru Kira, 3rd Company Lieutenant, and Kosuke Ichigami, 5th Company Lieutenant, along with his 3rd Seat, Momo Hinamori. Iemura reported the disabling of two highly-seated officers of 11th Company and the incapacitation of nearly that entire unit. A few more of the lieutenants present reported others among their companies, including a few highly-seated officers, who had failed to report in and probably fallen victim to the _ryoka_.

"There have been confirmed at least a half-dozen _ryoka_ ," he continued. "Two of them have taken a member of our 4th Company hostage and are headed towards the 4-Deep Repentance Cell…."

As the lieutenants marveled over the damage inflicted in such a short time, Momo turned nervously to her old classmates. "Things have gotten crazy…huh Abarai- _kun_?"

But to her surprise, Renji wasn't there.

8-8-8

There was a mist present, but most of the area around the flagstone was visible as Hanatarô carefully looked around. "Okay, we're clear," he said, and Kalan and Ganju burst gratefully into the fresh air above. "This is as close as we can get," he continued. "The canals don't go to the tower itself."

They gazed up at the walled mini-city before them, with one tall pencil-like tower rising above the rest of the strange buildings, and a massive plateau to the right, bordering its wall, with a strange huge scaffold visible at the top of it. There were steps up into the city that were particularly shrouded with the mist.

"That sure looks foreboding," Ganju remarked. "Things will probably get tougher from here on…."

Kalan suddenly strode forward. "Someone's here, on the steps," he said curtly, cutting off his companions' questions.

The mist cleared, revealing Renji Abarai to the group. Hanatarô began trembling in fright at the sight of him.

"Hello again, kid. Do you remember me?" the pineapple-haired man demanded, adjusting the odd goggles he wore on his forehead.

F I N

 _Author's Note: Character Introduction: Kosuke Ichigami_

 _Naturally, this (probably the largest flashback section) is all based on the opening epic arc of Bleach, the Seireitei Arc (or whatever you want to call it). Kalan takes Ichigo's place, and has some plot points restricting his power so he doesn't stomp everyone immediately. Don't worry, this isn't only an excuse to keep him weak enough that he isn't stomping the entire force immediately (which, although I'm sure some would enjoy it, is less interesting than the adventure at this point)…this will, when it is further developed, also explain how he's able to be über enough to do what the entirety of the Gotei 13 couldn't, which is kill Sôsuke Aizen._

 _There are a lot of characters I'm not going to bother too much with…one of the great (and sometimes annoying) things about Bleach is the amount of cool and well-defined characters, heroes and villains, in the various units, particularly the Gotei 13. Ikkaku, for instance, is an interesting fighting-mad swordsman with a simple but intriguing past and outlook on things, and even his companion Yumichika has more depth than you'd think at first. But they aren't anywhere near the main characters here, so I'm not bothering with them._

 _So instead I'm going to introduce this new character of my design, Kosuke Ichigami. The entire reason for the Soul Society, of course, is because of Momo Hinamori. When I decided to add my second-favorite anime girl ever to the mix, I decided to keep her in her full Bleach persona and abilities, rather than redesigning her for a magical world or turning her into a more exact Setsuna Sakurazaki clone (as she has taken most of her parts). That necessitated putting in all the Bleach story, etc., which is why this portion is so important. But I didn't want Momo in her usual place, as a lieutenant of the 5_ _th_ _Company, as it would be harder for her, as a lieutenant, to justify spending years away from the Seireitei on a special mission. Well, I suppose you could argue that observing the growing Mai would be reason enough, but I liked the subplot of Momo, because of her difficulties with the Seireitei war, having her confidence problems and so she's been given this vacation-like mission to help her sort her feelings out._

 _But as I've mentioned, I'm always trying to make sense of things and have logic and such dictate a fair portion of everything I do—I think too much, about everything, and it kind of didn't fit that Momo was not a lieutenant, unless I completely re-wrote the situation of the Seireitei's leadership. After all, according to her history she, Renji, and Izuru were constant companions at school and three elites in their class, who caught the eye of Aizen and were arranged to be drafted into his unit so he could find uses for them. Izuru and Momo were observed to be quite susceptible to manipulation, hero worship, and blind devotion, while Renji was more of a roughneck, a rebel and a maverick (kind of like Ichigo, which is why they got on so well at the same time they argued, kind of thing). Because of that, Momo and Izuru were swiftly made into lieutenants, but Renji was shipped off to 11_ _th_ _Company, the fighting fools' unit, and his lack of expertise with_ kidô _put off his rise to a lieutenant for a long time (it's never given in detail, but it was apparently about twenty years before Bleach's start that Izuru and Momo became lieutenants, while Renji was quite clearly promoted only right before Rukia went to the Living World (a side chapter explains this, how she left before he could say and he decided he would tell her the news when she got back…)). I considered having this be right before Momo was promoted, following the regular conceived storyline (as far as it was revealed, with Izuru perhaps having become a lieutenant just before her since he was also a genius), but as I envisioned Kalan's hijacking of Ichigo's story, his progression of battles with Ikkaku, Renji, Kenpachi and Byakuya needed to be an important thing for him to go through, too. But Renji, prior to being a lieutenant, couldn't have made much of a mark in this situation. So I decided he needed to stay a lieutenant, but it just didn't seem right for him to be a lieutenant while Momo wasn't. I've constantly suggested that Momo was being primed for the role and was almost there, but still, that Renji should beat her…it didn't make much sense, no matter how I argued it to myself._

 _So finally I decided to add an obstacle to her ascension: an already-present lieutenant. Kosuke Ichigami is an invented character for this story, made as one of Aizen's co-conspirators and his current lieutenant. Momo has been prepared to take the role for a long time, but since Kosuke is there and Momo is fanatical of Aizen, he's decided to leave her as his 3_ _rd_ _Seat for now. As will be explained in detail next chapter as Momo's manipulation begins to take off, Kosuke is planning to 'step down' to pursue 'other career objectives' and leave the seat vacant for her…but this mess spoils all that. In addition to the fact that he makes a good excuse for why Momo has not yet become a lieutenant, he makes another nice adversary for my larger and more impressive Red Wings party to fight._

 _He is a perfect Aizen lieutenant, skilled, low-key, seemingly dedicated and very capable, and utterly loyal to his captain, well aware of the marks of the conspiracy and worshipfully ready to do all his lord asks. He is semi-based on yet another of my crazy ideas, an alternate-earth world with an anime compilation thrown in…this story was conceived while Fairy Tail (in the manga) was running through the Edoras arc, when the guild was sucked into another world of no magic (only residual and quickly-draining magic) where there were alternate versions of all of them, most of them quite different from their originals, so you had scary-evil Erza, scary-dominating Lucy, fast-driving Natsu, and clothes-wearing Grey. So I conceived yet another 'crazy magical world' for reality-escaping Ronnie to fall into, one where his friends and family would follow, where they would find alternate versions of themselves, about half of them evil and half of them good, and most of them quite different from their own personas. And, because I'm like that, the story was based around all sorts of anime universes cobbled together, too…and the big villain was again Aizen, and this version of the alternate-world Ronnie was a 'Soul Reaper' equivalent, Aizen's right-hand man and chief scientist, and a traitor to the eyes of the heroic rebels fighting the evil emperor Aizen. I've thought up a bunch of different variants of this story, most involving magic Gundam-variant mechs for variety's sake, but the evil Ran Sanada is the primary antagonist Ronnie has to face, his 'evil twin', as it were. Kosuke is kinda-sorta based on that idea, but the Ronnie connection was tossed out, as there's already too much Ronnie in Kalan (since, although largely based on my dad, he has a lot of Ronnie in him, especially appearance, since Negi looking like Nagi in the original story was an important point I wanted to keep for obvious reasons) and Kain both. So I just came up with a new guy and a new name, but he is a true follower of evil Aizen and not nearly as nice as he appears…._

 _Anyway, let's continue on with the story and see if we can't finish this portion up quickly…._


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit fictional story, a FanFiction based on Ken Akamatsu's Negima. I do not own Negima, or most of the other characters included in this work, excepting where it is stated in the author's notes. It is not intended or presented for any commercial profit or personal gain; it is simply a story written for personal fulfillment and presented for public enjoyment, and as an honest homage to the fine story conceived and written by Ken Akamatsu, as well as all the other (innumerable) works that find place herein (and their authors).

The History of the Red Wings, Part Five: The Seireitei War

"Abarai Renji," Kalan intoned.

"You even remember my name. I'm pleased," Renji stated, drawing his sword.

"W-who is that guy?" Ganju muttered. "His _reiatsu_ 's much higher than the rest of 'em…!"

"T-that's…Abarai Renji, lieutenant of 6th Company!" Hanatarô breathed.

Kalan drew a sword from his cloak as Renji began to stride forward. "So, you're here to stop me from rescuing Rukia, too?"

"Rescue her!? She's going to die because of you! And you have the gall to try to 'rescue' her!? Do you even know what you're going to do with her if you save her!? Where are you going to try to even run to!?" The two locked swords together, Renji glaring down fiercely at the calm face of the younger and smaller boy. "Because of you, Rukia's fate got twisted…if she hadn't become involved with you…!"

"You don't really know anything, do you?" Kalan retorted calmly. "Well, I don't have the time or energy to try to explain it to you." He pushed Renji off and sent him leaping backwards with a savage slash. "The first thing to do is make sure Rukia isn't executed. Then we'll worry about ending this mess once and for all. So, for starters, if you won't let me pass, I'll have to put you down."

"Heh…we'll let strength decide, shall we?"

"W-what's Kalan thinking!?" Ganju demanded as he watched the pair battle. "I know the kid's tough, but he can't take on a lieutenant!"

"No…maybe he can." Hanatarô was staring, almost rigid, watching the battle in a kind of awe. "Look closely at Kalan- _san_. It's incredible…he's…overwhelming Abarai- _fukutaichô_! What…what exactly _is_ Kalan- _san_?"

"How should I know?" Ganju muttered. "I'd like to know that myself…."

The two continued their swordplay. They kept their dance rather reserved, relying on fairly standard swings, parries, and sword locks, neither pressing too hard, but, as Hanatarô had observed, Kalan seemed to be pushing back the much larger man on each of their exchanges. "Hey, Kalan Lockeheart…tell me something," Renji began during one exchange. "How do you intend to save Rukia?"

"How?"

"You talk about 'ending this mess once and for all'. How are you going to do that? Even if you beat me, there are 11 more lieutenants like me and 13 captains after that far more powerful than I am. To save Rukia, you'll have to defeat every single one of us. Do you really think you can do that?"

"I have so far," Kalan replied, still quite calm. "I've never found anyone I couldn't beat. I'm just getting started on learning how to use these powers, and I'm already this far. Captains? Lieutenants? I'll take on anyone I have to…but I shouldn't, despite what you think. You're lashing out in anger, but you don't know anything at all about what this is about, do you? Still…you showed up in Arcanus Myrror barking orders, but it seems you care for Rukia more than you let on…."

"What are you talking about? A little kid like you…you're strong, but you think you have the answers? Where does your bravado come from? You may have been a powerful mage in the Living World, but do you really think you have the power to change anything here? You don't stand a chance!" He suddenly shoved Kalan off and raised his sword above his head. "Howl! Zabimaru [Snake-Tail]!" As he brought his sword down, it transformed into a much broader-bladed, fanged weapon, segmented with a 'fang' or 'tooth' on each segment. The weapon extended forward, each segment separating with a mass of 'ligaments' stretching out, linking the separated segments together.

Kalan caught the attack on his sword and went sliding backward, pushed by the mass of power that erupted with the weapon's release. He managed to stop the advance just short of crashing into the wall behind him, however. Then he pushed the weapon back and slashed at it, scattering it to the side.

"Is that your best?" Kalan remarked as Renji's sword withdrew, pulling back and reconnecting into the solid-piece sword. "It's not enough. If the other lieutenants are all like you, I might have a chance."

Renji smiled viciously. "…Fool."

8-8-8

"Abarai- _kun_ 's missing!? Where is he!?"

Momo was alone with Izuru Kira. "I don't know. He disappeared during the meeting, and when I went looking for him at the 6th Company's Adjutant's room, I found this…."

Momo unwrapped the bundle in her arm, revealing…. "His adjutant's badge!" Izuru breathed. "Did you…tell the captain about this?"

"No…not yet. I thought about telling Aizen- _taichô_ about this, but I didn't want to get Abarai- _kun_ in trouble." Her face became concerned. "Oh! Not that I thought that Aizen- _taichô_ would be unfair to Abarai- _kun_!"

"I know," Izuru agreed. "But since we don't know why Abarai- _kun_ is missing, I think you did the right thing."

"But why would he disappear at a time like this?" Momo queried.

"I don't know…but it must have been urgent if he left his badge. We've been under orders to wear them while this state of emergency is going on. He's seemed distressed about Kuchiki- _san_ lately. I hope he hasn't gotten himself into trouble. All right. I'll go look for him too. And I'll make sure my captain doesn't find out."

"Good. Thanks, Kira- _kun_." Momo watched her friend go and then stared wistfully out at the sky. "Abarai- _kun_ …where are you?"

8-8-8

Kalan leapt back in and began a new, more intense dance with Renji's heavy but very agile whip-like weapon. The clashing weapons gave off releases of power that made the two onlookers wince. Still, Kalan could sense something underneath Renji's attacks.

Finally he withdrew after one exchange and stood silently. Renji, caught up in the battle, sent his extended sword once more towards Kalan and watched in amazement as he made no resistance but let the jagged weapon tear into his shoulder and slash across his chest. "You're not really trying," Kalan remarked, seemingly ignoring the wound as much as he had ignored the attack. "You're fairly powerful, but your heart really isn't in this. If you're that concerned about Rukia's execution, why aren't you trying to stop it yourself? You're blaming me wildly for her predicament, but I saved her to begin with…and now she's going to be executed anyway. But all you can think is that it's impossible to do anything about it, instead of trying to get to the bottom of it. Well, whatever."

He suddenly dashed in close. In shock, Renji brought his sword down once more, but Kalan caught the blade with his left hand and slashed up with the sword in his right, smashing the sword in half and opening Renji from his right hip to his left shoulder. He then stepped back as Renji stood there, staggering, but not falling over. He seemed incapable of moving, but likewise did not seem ready to collapse quite yet.

Renji was hardly aware of the world around him anymore…his mind was mostly focused on his unmoving body, and then began to roll back through his memories…to a collection of children growing up in the worst slums of the Rukon district. How two of those children, the only ones that survived to near-adulthood, decided to take their spiritual powers and leave the Rukongai to become Soul Reapers. How the girl was taken, adopted into the prestigious Kuchiki family for no explicable reason…and how the boy strove to become a man, trying to become powerful enough, rise up enough in rank to be on equal standing with his friend once again….

 _('Rukia finally had a real family. Let her go…don't get in the way…that was what I told myself.')_ "But thinking back," he continued aloud, "maybe I was just afraid. Jeez…I'll always be a stray dog. It makes me sick. All I do is bark at the moon…I don't have the guts to jump at it." Suddenly Renji staggered forward, laying a hand on the collar of Kalan's shirt. "I've never been good enough…to beat Kuchiki- _taichô_. Since Rukia became a Kuchiki, I've trained every day, but to no avail…he's just too good…. I'm not strong enough to save her! Kalan Lockeheart…I'm asking you, knowing that I shame myself: save her…save Rukia!"

He slumped forward and fell silent to the ground. Kalan stared down at the man. "I will," he said quietly.

Ganju and Hanatarô came hurrying over to observe as the Soul Reaper fell. "Hey, Kalan! Are you okay!? That shot looks bad…."

Hanatarô stared at the boy. _('He defeated Abarai Renji…he actually defeated a lieutenant of the Gotei 13…Kalan Lockeheart…who_ are _you…?')_

He tensed and turned as he felt the energy signatures approaching. "Oh…! Someone's coming! Three…no, four…maybe five…."

"Hey, Kalan, let's get out of here!" Ganju barked. "We don't want company right now!"

"Yeah," Kalan agreed quietly. "Let's retreat. Can you take us somewhere safe, Hanatarô?"

They ducked back beneath the flagstone and disappeared. Moments later Izuru Kira and four of his troops came hurrying around the corner and were brought up short by the scene.

"Abarai- _san_!"

"Abarai- _fukutaichô_ , are you all right!?"

"I can't believe it," Izuru murmured. "They defeated Abarai- _kun_ …."

The troopers dropped down at his side, panicking and arguing as they began to care for him. One of his men stayed back with Izuru, observing. "It looks like they fled. Shall we give chase?"

"No," Izuru insisted. "Saving Abarai- _kun_ is our priority now."

8-8-8

"Healing ability? I thought the relief company used medicine and stuff," Ganju asked.

"Well, actually…the other _hinigami_ mostly use their spiritual energy only for combat, but we of the 4th Company can use ours to heal. It's practically our only power…."

"There's nothing to be ashamed about…healing is an important ability," Kalan replied. "So, what's the diagnosis?"

"Ah…I-I'm surprised you're still moving so easily…you have wounds left over from earlier fights, too, in addition to this nasty wound from Abarai- _fukutaichô_. But I will heal you. I just need a little time." Hanatarô looked up with a smile. "I'll heal you up in one night."

Momo stared down at the wounded, bloodied body of Renji lying on the cot, her hands covering her mouth in shock. "He was like this when I found him," Izuru explained. "If I had come to his aid sooner…."

"No," Momo insisted. "It's not your fault."

Izuru nodded calmly. "Anyway, I'll contact 4th Company. I'll have them send a high-level rescue unit…."

A tall shadow was suddenly looming behind Momo, dwarfing her. "That will not be necessary," Byakuya Kuchiki insisted. "Just dump him in a cell."

The two whirled to face him. "Kuchiki- _taichô_!" Momo continued to protest: "B-but Abarai- _kun_ fought the _ryoka_ by himself. He…."

"No excuses. He chose to fight alone. Defeat was not an option. We have no use for beaten fools. Now take this wretch away."

Momo began to quiver with anger at this dismissal of her old friend…the man's own lieutenant. "Wait…" she began, but Byakuya had turned on his heel and was marching away. "Wait!" Momo insisted, starting after him. "That's no way to speak of…!"

Izuru suddenly grabbed her shoulder. "Enough!" he hissed to her.

"But, Kira- _kun_ …!"

Byakuya stopped and glanced coldly over his shoulder at the pair. Izuru swiftly did a deep bow. "We apologize, sir!"

Downcast, Momo followed suit. "I'm…I'm sorry, sir," she said demurely. The man turned back and departed without a word.

"Oh my! He's very scary!"

The two turned to the sudden new arrival. Izuru's face lit up this time. "Ichimaru- _taichô_!"

The squinty-eyed Gin came towards the pair. "What was that about? Sixth Company's captain always acts like that. Don't worry about it. I'll get word to 4th Company." He beckoned to his lieutenant. "Izuru, come with me."

"Yes, sir!" Izuru said, following him out.

"T-thank you!" Momo declared, bowing to the departing captain and her friend.

Her depressed face returned as she rose, musing over this situation.

"Whoa! Abarai was beaten five times to Sunday!" declared yet another newcomer, actually appearing standing behind Momo, his back to her, staring down at the bloodied form.

Momo freaked at this latest incident and whirled to face the small white-haired boy. "S-Shirô- _chan_!" she barked.

"Hey, I'm a captain now. Call me by my title," insisted Tôshirô Hitsugaya.

"Shut up! Why do captains always sneak up on people!?" Momo railed, having had _three_ such captains appear suddenly without warning in just the past two minutes. "Anyway, what are you…?" She calmed suddenly and stared carefully at him. "What are you doing here…without an adjutant…?"

Tôshirô stared out at where Gin and Izuru had departed. "I came to warn you. Beware of 3rd Company."

"Huh? Third Company? Kira- _kun_ 's company? Why?"

"I'm not sure about Kira, but be especially wary of Ichimaru. Better to be safe than sorry. Especially…."

8-8-8

The captains met one last time that evening. The Captain-General declared that all-out war had to be declared against the _ryoka_ , and that Ichimaru's failure from before in eliminating the invaders was to be overlooked. Renji was taken to a cell for disobeying orders in seeking out the _ryoka_ on his own, but 4th Company's teams went to work on his treatments all the same.

And messengers hurried into the barracks to declare the wartime exception in place. Kosuke and Momo knelt at attention as a messenger presented himself to them. "All senior officers, including lieutenants, are permitted to wear a sword within the court, and full wartime usage is permitted, by the authority of the Captain of the 1st Company of the Gotei 13, Captain-General Yamamoto Genryûsai Shigekuni. We've tightened our defenses, but the enemy has defeated Abarai- _fukutaichô_. They could attack the barracks at any time. Ichigami- _fukutaichô_ , Hinamori- _sanseki_ , be on your guard!"

" _Hai_ ," the two agreed quietly.

As he left, Momo stared at the floor, downcast. Kosuke rose and patted her on the shoulder. "It's all right, Hinamori- _kun_. Abarai- _san_ will be fine. And we'll take care of the _ryoka_. The captains are mobilizing, too. Soon this will all be over." And he departed.

Momo still stared away. "Wartime exception?" she murmured. "Swords? Abarai- _kun_ …. How did this happen? Why make us carry _zanpaku-tô_ , here, in our own homes? Is the threat really that serious?" She recalled the cryptic and chilling message Tôshirô had left her. "Aizen- _taichô_ …" she murmured. "I…don't want to fight!"

8-8-8

Some time later there was a knock on the door of the quarters of the 5th Company captain, Sôsuke Aizen. Aizen glanced over at the silhouette outside and recognized it from its small stature. "What is it? Is something wrong, Hinamori- _kun_?"

Momo opened the door, but stood without, clad in her white sleeping _kimono_. Aizen himself had been sitting at a table, writing, in his own casual clothes, with a heavier robe about his shoulders. "I'm sorry…" Momo murmured. "May I…speak with you for a moment? I know it's late, and that this is rude of me…b-but I won't sleep! I won't be rude and fall asleep in front of you, Captain!"

The bespectacled captain smiled kindly and rose, striding over to her. He threw his outer robe over her shoulders. She raised her head to stare up at him in surprise. "Do you think I'd turn you away for being rude?" Aizen insisted. "Do you think I'm that cold-hearted? Come in." He stepped back and beckoned her. "You must have had a difficult day today. Stay here until you calm down."

He returned to his desk, and Momo seated herself on a cushion nearby. "I hear that Abarai- _kun_ is going to live," Aizen remarked.

"Really? Thank goodness!"

"Kuchiki- _taichô_ called for his discharge, but that met with opposition. As soon as his wounds heal, Abarai- _kun_ can rejoin the main force."

"Opposition? Was that you, Aizen- _taichô_?"

He turned back to her with a smile. "Not just me. He's a good soldier and well-liked by everyone. No one in the Gotei 13 wants to see him discharged. It must have been difficult for you in some ways, however."

"Eh?"

"Seeing both of your own classmates already as lieutenants, I mean, and here you are, at least their equal, but you're stuck as my 3rd Seat…."

"Oh, no! I'm quite fine with where I am now. Ichigami- _fukutaichô_ is a fine officer, and I couldn't wish to be in anyone's company but yours, _Taichô_ …."

Aizen chuckled and returned to his writing. Momo stared at him with a soft smile on her face. _('Aizen-_ taichô _'s words…his voice…everything about him soothes my fears. I'm glad I came here tonight. I'm glad I work under you…Aizen-_ taichô. _')_

Darkness fell. After some time, Momo lay on the ground, asleep. Aizen spread a blanket over her. He was once again dressed in his full captain's regalia. He followed a shadowy form out of the barracks.

8-8-8

Momo awoke with a start. "Ah! I'm sorry! I dozed off! And…huh? Aizen- _taichô_?" She glanced around in surprise. She heard an alarm going off. She grabbed it and looked at it, and her eyes widened in shock and concern.

"Oh no! Look at the time!" Soon she was hurrying out into the terraced officers' streets, adjusting her uniform. "Why didn't he wake me if he woke up before me? I hope I make it to the assembly on time…."

She ducked down a closed-off side street, hopping over the barrier, pleased with the shortcut that would allow her to make it on time….

And as she entered the plaza right before the building where she was to meet with her lieutenant, she was brought up short by the horror before her eyes. She screamed.

The lieutenants gathered nearby heard the scream. "What was that?" asked one of them. "It came from the East Holy Wall…."

"That was…Hinamori!" Izuru insisted.

They hurried to the sound and found Momo standing there, frozen, staring up at the wall. They raised their gazes and were all brought up short…by the corpse of Sôsuke Aizen, bloodied and hanging from the wall by a sword that had run him through. After stuttering for several long moments, Momo screamed out her captain's name.

The lieutenants could only stare in shock as Momo continued to scream the man's name. Suddenly a voice cut through her ravings. "What is it? Why all the noise so early in the morning?"

They turned as Gin Ichimaru approached, his slight, mocking ever-present smile on his lips. Momo stared at him, the warning Tôshirô had given her returning to her mind. _["Beware of 3_ _rd_ _Company…especially…when Aizen goes out alone…."]_

Rage replaced Momo's grief in a flash. " _You did this!_ " she screamed, and began to charge at the captain, drawing her sword….

And Izuru was there to intercept the attack with his own blade. "Kira- _kun_ …" she murmured in shock. "Why?"

"I'm the lieutenant of the 3rd Company! No one draws a sword against my captain for any reason!"

"Kira- _kun_ …please…step aside…."

"I can't!"

"Move."

"No!"

"I'm telling you to move!" Momo screamed.

"I'm telling you I won't!" Izuru countered at the same pitch and volume.

"Snap, Tobiume!"

Izuru withdrew in surprise as Momo's sword erupted. "You're releasing your _zanpaku-tô_ _here_ , of all places!? That's madness! Do you realize what you're doing!? This is no place to resolve personal matters, Hinamori- _sanseki_!"

In response, Momo hurled another fireball Izuru's way. He dodged. "I see. Then it can't be helped. I must treat you as an enemy!" He leapt into the air and began to descend on the girl. "Raise your head…Wabisuke [The Miserable One]!"

Before he could strike, a new figure interposed himself between the pair, catching Izuru's odd square-shaped blade on his own sheathed sword and stepping on Momo's, driving it into the ground. "Don't move, either of you," Tôshirô insisted.

"H-Hitsugaya- _kun_ …" Momo murmured.

"Arrest them," the captain commanded. "Both of them."

The lieutenants jumped to action, a pair grabbing each of them and taking their weapons. "I'll report this to the Captain-General! Take them away!"

Kosuke stepped forward, ordering a few other random guards that had come in answer to all the commotion to take Aizen's body down. As he calmly went about this business, Gin approached Tôshirô. "I'm sorry my man troubled you, Captain…" Gin began.

Tôshirô didn't turn or acknowledge the declaration. "Ichimaru…" he began. "Just now, you tried to kill Hinamori, didn't you?"

"What? I have no idea what you're talking about…."

"I'm telling you right now…." Tôshirô finally turned to glare dangerously at Gin. "If you make Hinamori bleed, I'll kill you."

"That's frightening," Gin replied easily. "But you'd better keep your eye on her…you don't want any misfortune to befall her…especially with all these _ryoka_ running amok…."

8-8-8

Ganju awoke slowly and started to find Hanatarô lying on his knee, drooling on his leg. He jumped to his feet and began to berate the little Soul Reaper for ruining his best pants.

"He's exhausted," Kalan said. "It's only a little drool."

Ganju turned and stared at the boy in shock. "You…look good…like you weren't hurt at all…."

"Yeah. Thanks to Hanatarô. You're feeling better too, right? He healed your wounds while he was still woozy from healing me." He turned to the entrance. "All right. Let's go. To the Senzaikyû!"

They emerged back to the area of their previous battle, and, to Ganju's surprise, there was no sign of stronger security. "I guess they didn't think the enemy would return so swiftly," Kalan said.

"Hey, I've been wondering about something for a while now," Ganju said. "Do you think the others are all right? Those two little cutie-pies, the guys with glasses, that other little black-cloaked kid? Or your weird pets? Are they all right?"

"Cutie-pies? I didn't think anyone talked like that nowadays." Kalan shrugged. "They're perfectly fine. Unlike me, they haven't had any power suppressed…they're as strong as they are in the Living World, as you call it. They're all smart and skilled…we've survived plenty up to this point. You guys are obsessed with the power of your captains…but you shouldn't underestimate the Red Wings. They're fine…."

8-8-8

Speaking of those, we do get to see partially what they're about now that they've been mentioned. Jynx and Saber ended up together, with Jynx caring for Saber, who suffered some injuries saving them from the fall, although now they were both fully recovered. Eishun had secured Aeli, and the two had acquired their own black _kimono_ to sneak around in. Kamo and Yoruichi had ended up together, separated from the humans, but they agreed that this circumstance might be for the best. Gato was alone, and was forced to beat his own way to safety.

And Aiden? He was also alone, but was doing fine fighting off the hordes as he worked his way through the Seireitei. He picked up one man by the collar and stared hard at him. "Where's the Senzaikyû?" he demanded.

"W-what!?"

"I asked your buddy there where the 'criminal' Rukia was, and he said that before he passed out. So, where is it?"

The man pointed a shaking finger. "T-there…! It's that white tower there!"

Aiden nodded. "Okay. Thanks. Now scram." He dropped him and turned away.

The man stared after him in confusion, then started to chuckle slightly. "Ha…you fool…never turn your back on an enemy…."

He picked up his sword and began to charge at Aiden from behind. "Die!"

Aiden half-turned and, without looking, extended his pistol, and fired. The sword blade was shattered from the shot. Then Aiden turned back to stare at the stunned Soul Reaper. "Big mistake," he intoned. "Knowing how to treat your enemy starts with knowing something about your enemy. I knew you were no threat. You obviously didn't know that I am so far above you that you have no chance…."

The man withdrew and began to repeatedly bow in total obeisance. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Please forgive me."

Aiden shook his head and turned away again. "Some trash is too pathetic to waste bullets on." And he marched along.

Above, at the highest floor of a large, tall building, a careless man lounged while a careful woman stared out a window. "He's coming. A _ryoka_."

"Hmm?" The lounging man stirred and lifted up the wide, conical straw hat covering his face. "Aw," sighed Shunsui Kyôraku, captain of the 8th Company. "Oh well. Guess we'd better get going."

"Are you sure you want to go?" insisted the bespectacled woman with the short, carefully-coifed black hair—his lieutenant, Nanao Ise. "I can handle one _ryoka_."

"I have to, Yama- _jiijii_ 's order's," sighed the captain, rising and setting his two swords in place. "I don't want him to think we can't handle it. I wouldn't want anyone's reputation to get ruined. And…" He turned suddenly and began to pat Nanao's face. "…If my Nanao- _chan_ went out to battle and became damaged goods, I don't know what I'd do! "

"Who's _your_ Nanao- _chan_?" the woman replied, slapping his hand with a fan.

"You're in an especially lovely mood today," he said, massaging his hand. "That's what I love about you ." He sighed and assumed a more serious face. "Okay, okay." He glanced back at her and smiled slightly. "Don't look so worried. It'll be over soon. It's just fun and games, after all."

8-8-8

Momo sat calmly in _seiza_ , Japanese formal kneeling position, within her cell. Her eyes were red from her extended crying, but now, hours later, she was finally calm…if still enormously depressed. She was surprised when a visitor appeared, however…Rangiku Matsumoto, Tôshirô's buxom lieutenant. To her further surprise, the larger woman approached and handed a note to the girl. "We found this in Aizen- _taichô_ 's room, addressed to you."

"Aizen- _taichô_ …?" Then she recalled the visit last night, and the writing he had been doing. _('Ah, that must have been….')_

"It's a good thing it was my captain that found it," Rangiku remarked, turning to leave. "Anyone else would've submitted it as evidence and you wouldn't have gotten it. I don't know what it says, but, as a seated officer, you should be honored to know that your captain's last words were for you. Read it with appreciation." And she was gone.

Momo tried to keep herself from crying again. "Thank you…Rangiku…."

She unwrapped the scroll and unrolled it. Her eyes intently studied the words on the page. _'Hinamori-_ kun _…if you are reading this letter, it means I was unable to return. I've caused you much grief. There are no words to express my gratitude to you. As Kosuke-_ kun _prepared for his new post in the expeditionary unit, you've done an admirable job preparing for the seat of lieutenant, which you so rightly deserve. And yet I never spoke to you about my concerns…but only because I did not want to get you involved. I hope you will forgive me for involving you now. I am probably no longer alive, so, to you, whom I trust more than anyone, I will reveal all that I've discovered here….'_

Momo stared in shock at the page. "…This is…!"

8-8-8

The three hurried up the incredibly steep steps, trying to get closer to the tower, Ganju grumbling all the way. Finally they crested the stairs and Ganju sighed in relief….

And then a massive fount of _reiatsu_ enveloped them, shaking them. Even Kalan was brought up short by the sheer volume of it.

"W-what the…!? This spiritual pressure's insane!" Ganju gasped. "What's causing it!?"

"Run!" Kalan barked. "Whoever it is, I'm sure we don't want to meet him right now! We need to cover some ground before the enemy finds us!"

The three began to hurry at double-time, running with all their might.

Above, on one of the buildings, a large figure sensed the three invaders and began to feel them out. "He's finally here. Let's see…there are three mice…which one is it….?"

There was no real question. Two of the sources of _reiatsu_ were nearly insignificant….

Hanatarô collapsed suddenly. Ganju hurried over and picked up the little Soul Reaper and slung him over his shoulders, complaining all the while. _('It's doing no good,')_ Kalan thought. _('We're not gaining any distance…what's with this? I'm still not used to_ reiatsu _, but this…I'd just face it, but I can't let these two get near him….')_

"No…" the voice above murmured, considering the two larger men. And then Kalan heard, practically in his ear, "Is it you?"

All three stopped running as the _reiatsu_ intensified…Ganju collapsed to his knees, almost dropping his burden, and Kalan turned and glanced up at what he now recognized as the source of the mad _reiatsu_. He felt the _reiatsu_ intensify, almost assaulting his psyche like a blade as it literally attacked him, but he shrugged off the mental blow.

The figure above suddenly appeared behind him with a step. "You're Kalan Lockeheart, are you not?"

Kalan slowly turned to the new aggressor. "And you…must be Zaraki Kenpachi…."

"I see…Ikkaku told you about me. I'm pleased you kept my name in mind. I am indeed Zaraki Kenpachi, Captain of 11th Company. I'm here to kill you or die."

"Is that so?" _('I can tell he's a captain by this insane_ reiatsu _…this is the source of everything we've been sensing since we got here….')_ "That's all? And just me?"

"I don't care anything about the prisoner or your friends. As I said…I'm just here to kill you or die."

"Ganju…Hanatarô…are you two okay?" he called over his shoulder.

"We're fine! Just knocked down by that guy's insane power! Don't worry about us…if you're distracted, he'll kill you!"

Suddenly a pink-haired childlike form burst over the shoulder of the large man, pushing his head aside as she strove to get a better look. She was even tinier (by a large margin) than Kalan. "Hey! That guy's drooling! He looks rough…he must be awfully scared of Ken- _chan_." The would-be Soul Reaper leapt from her perch and actually planted a foot on Kalan's head, causing him to repel her instinctively.

She looked downcast as she considered the boy. "Oh…that guy's mad at me…."

"Idiot. Of course he is," growled the large man.

"Ganju, take Hanatarô and get out of here," Kalan commanded, drawing his sword. "This guy just wants me. I'll entertain him."

"But…."

"Go. You have to rescue Rukia."

Swearing, Ganju picked up the smaller man and fled.

"All right," Kalan sighed, setting himself. "Let's get this 'deathmatch' over with."

8-8-8

Rukia stood within her cell, a wide, tall, broad, and almost featureless chamber. She tensed as she felt the energy pulsing. "I feel…a lot of spiritual pressure today. If I can feel it here, inside this chamber surrounded by _Sekki-Seki_ , it must be incredibly strong. Is there a captain fighting nearby? And yesterday there was that deafening roar…there's a battle being fought out there. Could it really be you, Kalan Lockeheart? Why…are you doing this…for someone like me?"

8-8-8

Kenpachi smiled as he considered the boy. "Nice. You're young, but your spiritual pressure is good and solid. Your guard is relaxed but has no holes or weaknesses. You're probably stronger than any of the vice-captains…which explains why Ikkaku lost. But you're not my equal. What do you say? Shall I give you a handicap?" He pulled at his robe, opening his bare chest up to present a target. His sword was still sheathed. "You can have the first cut. Strike wherever you wish."

Kalan still stared calmly. "Seriously?" But he could tell it from the mad look in the man's visible eye. "Well…I don't normally strike defenseless foes. But against someone like you…I guess I'll just have to take every advantage I can right now!"

And Kalan dashed in and used that move that was, because of his size, so natural, crouching low and swinging up as high and hard as he could. A wound appeared across Kenpachi's chest, blood fountaining away…it looked extreme, but Kalan instinctively knew that it was fairly shallow.

Kenpachi's grin deepened. "Nice. That was good. It's been ages since I was cut. But don't be in such a hurry…let's enjoy this." And he drew his own sword with measurable slowness. "Kill or be killed…that's something to savor."

Hanatarô finally stirred and awoke, still being carried across Ganju's shoulder. "Hey, you awake, Hana?"

Hanatarô started to struggle in Ganju's grip. "W-where's Kalan- _san_!?"

"H-he stayed behind to fight that guy…."

"Stayed behind!? By himself!? N-no! Please go back! It's hopeless! Kalan- _san_ will be killed! That was Zaraki Kenpachi- _taichô_ of the 11th Company. The name 'Kenpachi' is passed down to the captains of that company, signifying their best fighters, those who have slain more than any of the other members of the Gotei 13! That name means that no matter how many times he is cut, he'll never fall! If we don't help him, he'll be killed!"

Ganju finally dropped Hanatarô, but he also restrained him. "Idiot! What good would you or I do!? The two of us were just paralyzed by his mere presence! What can you do to help!? Of the three of us, Kalan is the only one who has a chance of beating that Zaraki! I don't like it either, but we'd only be in his way if we went back. He left us with a job to do: to rescue that Rukia girl! So let's get going already!"

8-8-8

 _('Running low on ammo,')_ Aiden thought as he finished off the latest group mostly with his bare hands. _('I doubt there's any place here in the Soul Society to get more. I hope I can get this taken care of soon…and I hope Kalan's all right….')_

Suddenly a large man interposed himself between Aiden and his chosen path. He had only half of an upper kimono, revealing a rare left torso and arm with a tattoo on his shoulder, and his hair was actually set in two long braided pigtails. "I am the assistant adjutant and 3rd Seat of 8th Company, Tatsufusa Enjôji. You chose the wrong path, foolish _ryoka_. With me here, this road is a dead end!"

He drew his sword and began a series of wide, sweeping flourishes, screaming all the while. Several of his more circumspect subordinates, standing safely off to the side, began to exult excitedly, "There it is! Tatsufusa's Hôzan Kenbu! The Crumbling Mountain Sword Dance!"

"Amazing! The _ryoka_ 's so terrified, he can't even move!"

Aiden stared at the swordsman, though not with terror.

"Come, come!" insisted the Soul Reaper. "What's wrong? Make a move! Don't be timid just because my masterful swordplay has never been breached…."

There was a shot and the man flew backwards from the gunman's blast. He lay still on the ground, defeated. "I've always wanted to do that," Aiden murmured. The other Soul Reapers scattered.

There was a clapping sound and a voice called, "Wheee-ooo! Very nice!" A gentle snow of flower petals began to fall around Aiden, and then a flurry of color appeared before him as a man in a flower-bedecked pink _kimono_ fell to the ground in front of him. He rose and turned to Aiden. "I'm Kyôraku Shunsui- _taichô_ of the 8th Company. Pleased to meet you."

"Captain, you say…" Aiden murmured softly, considering the strange man.

The man chuckled. "Yes indeed. As I said, pleased to meet you." He chuckled again, and then slowed and stopped as the falling flower petals didn't. He glanced up. "Nanao- _chan_!" he called to the balcony up above. "Enough with the petals!" Still they continued to fall, the dour-faced lieutenant tossing out handfuls of them regularly. Perhaps thinking she couldn't hear him, the captain continued, "Do you hear me, Nanao- _chan_? Nanao- _chan_! That's enough, Nanao- _chan_! Sweet, sweet Nanao- _chan_! Lovely, precious Nanao- _chan_ …."

Nanao finally dumped the remainder of the petals on top of her captain, burying him under the cloud.

Aiden stared in bemusement. "Nice…but, sorry, I don't have time for your comedy routine. I'm just passing through."

Shunsui burst from the pile. "Aw, can't you play a while longer? Sheesh, nobody's any fun nowadays…."

"You don't seem like a bad guy," Aiden remarked. "I'd rather not tangle with you right now. Can't you just let me by?"

"Oh…I don't really want to fight either, but…I can't let you pass. Might I convince you to retreat?"

Aiden considered his opponent carefully. "…What? You'll let me go, as long as I back off?"

"Well, there are other options." Suddenly Shunsui sat Indian-style and produced a jug and a couple small, shallow but wide bowls from somewhere about his person. "Let's have a drink! Like friends?" As Aiden glanced askew at him, he continued, "You can't retreat, and I can't let you pass…so maybe we can both just stay right here. After all, it'll all be over soon. The others are on the move even now. This unpleasantness will soon be finished. Until then, have a drink with me."

"The others? You mean, the other captains?"

"Uh oh…I may have said too much…" Shunsui murmured.

Then, to his surprise, Aiden sat across from him with a shrug. "Well, I can spare time for a little drink," he said. "At least, as soon as you prove it isn't poisoned. Aiden Rylack, by the way."

"Oh? Aren't you worried about your friends?"

"More or less, yeah. But, I've also seen what they can do…I have faith in them. They can take whatever you guys can dish out. If not…it was probably pointless for us to come here."

"Hmm. An interesting theory. Including that red-haired child? I can tell you right now that he's probably facing down one of our most frightening captains. He's in real danger…."

"You mean that outrageous energy I've been sensing for a while now?" Aiden finally took a sip of the _sake_ proffered to him. "Well. I don't know what to make of that, but this much I can say: that kid is special. More than you know. When he's set on something…I don't think there's a force in this world or any other that can stop him."

Shunsui chuckled. "You're an audacious little group. Why are you here, anyway? When you first arrived you indicated to our advance force that your only purpose was to escape your hunters back on Arcanus Myrror. And yet now you've invaded the Seireitei…why?"

"Isn't it obvious? We're here to rescue Rukia…Kuchiki Rukia."

"Rukia- _chan_? She hadn't been in Arcanus Myrror long before we called her back, after the strange attack. You could hardly have known her for more than a day or two. What on earth would compel you to risk your life over a stranger?"

It was Aiden's turn to chuckle. "Isn't that how it's supposed to go, though? Rescuing the damsel in distress? Usually the prince in those stories doesn't know the princess at all. But, in all seriousness…I must admit that I, personally, am not prone to risk my life for a stranger. But Kalan is a strange kid in a lot of ways, and he won't ever stand for injustice being done. And I've kinda thrown my lot in with his, now, so as long as he's fighting, I'm fighting alongside him. And it's the same for the rest of us. We may be strangers here, and maybe it's none of our business…but as long as this nonsense is going on, we'll do what we have to, even if we become the enemies of Soul Society, too."

"I see. That's too bad…I think that, if it weren't for that, we could be friends…."

"I could see that…."

"C-Captain! This is no time for games!" The seated men turned as Nanao suddenly came lighting down next to Shunsui.

"Calm down, Nanao- _chan_ , you're out of breath. What's wrong?" He glanced up behind him. "Wasn't that one of the Ritei-tai, the Secret Remote Unit, just now? Do we have a message?"

Nanao glared over at Aiden, who simply smiled back. "This is an emergency…I think you should deal with the _ryoka_ immediately and then hear the message…!"

"Don't hold back on my account," Aiden replied easily. "I doubt I'd even understand it anyway."

"Go ahead, Nanao- _chan_ ," Shunsui insisted. "I'll judge the importance of it afterwards…or is it really some reason that demands I kill Aidenimmediately?"

Nanao continued glaring, and then stated, "Aizen- _taichô_ is dead." As Shunsui stared in shock, she continued, describing the reported findings of his death, concluding that the killer was unknown but the murder was reportedly accomplished by a _zanpaku-tô_. Finally Nanao finished, "These _ryoka_ are probably responsible…!"

"Not likely, since none of us have _zanpaku-tô_ ," Aiden replied calmly. "Although that's rather interesting. Aizen…if I remember right, he's the one behind Rukia's execution. Is he really dead?"

"How dare you…!"

"In any case, this situation does change things," Aiden continued. "So I think I'll have to be going." He suddenly flicked a coin into the air, which, at the height of its arc, exploded in light. When it faded, he was gone.

Shunsui stared after the departed man. He chuckled softly. "Well…that was an interesting encounter…I suppose we should go pay our respects to Sôsuke- _kun_ …." _('And I'll have to give some thought to that man's cryptic words….')_

8-8-8

Kalan was experiencing his difficulties dealing with the man 'who cannot be killed.' The superhuman durability of his foe astounded him as they matched blades, each one suffering numerous wounds but neither one seeming overly bothered by them.

"This is it!" Kenpachi crowed. "This is a fight…like I haven't had in a long time! Isn't it great…the pain and the cutting? These are the rewards of the warrior!"

"Sorry, but I don't see the attraction," Kalan muttered. He leapt up and kicked Kenpachi across the face then slammed into him, sending him flying. He then took advantage of the hit to escape, ducking between buildings and hurrying out of sight.

He panted as he caught his breath. He smiled grimly to himself. For the first time in his young life, he was facing an opponent that seriously scared him. It wasn't just the man's overwhelming power, or Kalan's own lack of powers…the man's very psyche, that unstoppable force combined with his mad lust for battle, that urge to fight, bleed, kill and die and nothing else, with no morals or ideals or desires backing it, was more than he could handle.

"In a way, we're a lot alike," he murmured to himself. "Everyone says that I'm cold-blooded as a monster when I fight…and right now, neither of us have any powers, any abilities other than overwhelming strength and our swords.

"Still, right now, he's got more of it than I do…the way he is, I'm not sure even I can beat him. But…something else is wrong. As strong as he is, I should be a lot more wounded than I am...something's been stopping my wounds…blocking that sword and preventing it from cutting too deeply. What's going on…?"

 _('_ Reiatsu _…I've never thought that much about it. I've taken mana and_ ki _for granted all my life…they've been a readily-available power. Spiritual power…it's something I've heard of, but most mages don't bother much with it._

 _('But now, Urahara-_ san _told me that I'm a descendant of the Quincies, a race of humans who developed, almost exclusively, powerful spiritual abilities. That's at least one reason why, even though I've lost my magical powers here, I still have all this_ ki _-like energy…it's the spiritual energy that is inherent in my blood. But it would seem…that there's more to it than that….')_

"The Quincy blood has left more than power inside of me." Kalan turned and glanced to the side, willing the presence in the corner of his consciousness to manifest before him. "There is a personality, something like a soul, inside that power…you."

The man observed him…seeming half-real, the man's black clothing streamed like a wind-blown cloud, pieces almost seeming to evaporate off of it. He was strong-looking, tall, with wild black hair and a hard face concealed behind a dark, odd-shaped pair of glasses. He stared calmly at Kalan. "Yes. Even if it is you, Kalan Lockeheart, you did well to recognize my presence."

"The body is filled with microscopic lifeforms that make it function," Kalan murmured. "Well, what does the soul comprise? An interesting riddle. Who are you, exactly?"

"I have no name. I am the personification of the Quincy power you carry, the life that exists in all those who carry this blood, in the image of him who is the progenitor of the Quincy race. Only the strongest can truly awaken me as you have, however…in you was born a complete power unlike any before. But it seems you still cannot control the spiritual power inside of you…so I was forced to."

"I see. That…makes sense." He sighed. "If I could just learn how to…this would be much easier. But after this, I might be able to start learning. Until then…in order to finish this…can I count on you, just this once more?"

"Of course. Your power is mine…and mine is yours. I can stop your bleeding and shield your flesh for just a while longer. Go on…he is here."

Kalan rose and turned as Kenpachi came into view. The other man—the Quincy—was no longer there, but Kalan didn't concern himself with him; he was inside of Kalan. "Are you done?" Kenpachi demanded irritably. "I don't much like chasing rabbits."

"Sorry; I had to catch my breath. I'm ready to go for real, now. You've had fun…but it's time to finish this. If you can, you better release that sword."

Kenpachi stared at Kalan. "My _zanpaku-tô_ can't be released. It has no name. My sword is bare; it was never sealed. This blade…is my _zanpaku-tô_."

Kalan stared back. "I'd heard all captains could release, not once, but twice. But I guess someone like you doesn't need it? Whatever. We'll go, then." He came rocketing in. Kenpachi's eye bulged at the sudden speed, and a new fresh wound fountained from his chest.

Kenpachi backed up, striving to defend himself, but Kalan was overpowering him. He was faster, smaller, harder to hit, and, somehow, stronger. The blows Kenpachi could retaliate with couldn't seem to cut him; something flashed on his skin at the spot of flesh, and it slid off as if striking impenetrable steel.

Somehow Kenpachi laughed. "We're so evenly matched! No, it's clear—you're actually stronger than I am! It's been so long since I could…how long? But now I can finally go all out!" He pulled the eye patch from his face, revealing an uninjured eye…and power exploded out of him

Kalan stared. "That's almost unfair," he remarked. "But I guess, as wildly powerful as you are, without a seal, fighting would be too boring, huh?"

"You see it, kid. I can tell…we're a lot alike, you and I. I haven't had this much fun in forever…."

"As you say." Then, mentally, he continued, _('This looks like the finale. Can you give me one last push?')_

 _('Of course. One more push.')_

Kalan's power exploded out. Kenpachi stared at him in shock, then laughed. "Your _reiatsu_ is rising again! I want to know why…but that can wait. This is the best!"

"Of course it's rising," Kalan murmured. "I'm not fighting alone…I'll admit that. You, the _hinigami_ , should know that better than anyone."

"What? You mean, fighting alongside our _zanpaku-tô_? Nonsense…a _zanpaku-tô_ is a weapon. Teaming up with a _zanpaku-tô_ is the way of losers who can't fight on their own. For warriors like us, it's unworthy, Kalan Lockeheart!"

He charged in. Kalan followed suit. They each attacked with one final slash….

There was an explosion of power, and when the dust cleared, the two were standing there, Kalan's blade in Kenpachi's gut, and Kenpachi's blade buried in Kalan's shoulder. Kalan gasped and sighed. "Sorry…everyone…" he murmured and fell, his sword coming out of Kenpachi's wound and Kenpachi's blade coming off of him. Kenpachi stared down at the fallen boy, then set his own sword against his shoulder. "What are you apologizing for?" he demanded. His sword suddenly snapped in half. "You won, fool." And then he collapsed as well.

Yachiru, who had observed the whole fight with glee, came down to observe the pair. A more downcast look was on her face, but she bowed to the fallen form of Kalan. "Thank you! Ken- _chan_ had a great time fighting you, Kalan! It's been a long time since I've seen him this happy! Thanks a lot!"

Then she wandered over and picked up the massive fallen warrior, hoisting him onto her tiny back easily. "Kalan, try not to die. And if you can, come back and play with Ken- _chan_ sometime!" And she was gone.

Two forms then appeared at the scene…two tiny animals. Kamo whistled. "Well…he's in rough shape. I've never seen anyone capable of doing this to him before…."

"But, to have fought the likes of Kenpachi to a draw, even without his 'normal' power," Yoruichi murmured, joining him, "this child really is quite special. Don't worry, Kalan. We'll take care of you…."

8-8-8

Gato glanced over. "That was quite a surge of power…whatever's going on, that was probably Kalan…."

"Smash him, Gegetsuburi!"

Gato stepped aside, dodging the orningstar of the fat Soul Reaper. "You're good," the Soul Reaper said. "That was a good dodge. I'm 2nd Company lieutenant, Omaeda Marechiyo! You're unfortunate to have run into me…!"

A blast of energy blew the head of his weapon into pieces. He stared at it in shock, then backed up and began to supplicate himself. "I-I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry…!" And then another blast sent him flying, causing him to collapse some distance away, comatose.

Gato then turned and parried the incoming attack with his elbow. A powerful punch coming out of his pocket repelled his attacker, and his _iaiken_ shot that followed that put further distance between them. The assailant alighted on a wall above him to observe him. She was a slender, slight woman with mostly short black hair and a more elaborate white _haori_ over her black _kimono_ , with a yellow sash keeping the overcoat in place. "Well done," she replied. "But don't expect me to chat any more with you, or give you anything like my own name…."

"I understand," he replied. "Soi Fon, captain of the 2nd Company and leader of the Onmitsukidô…you strike from behind, not from the front, never present yourself to the enemy. I'm the kind who studies my enemies, you see, and I've researched the Soul Society since long before now."

"I see. I would expect no less from Gato Kagura Vandenberg, the master of _kanka_. I'd ask why you're invading the Seireitei…but it's pointless, since I'm going to kill you."

Gato chuckled. "Probably would be an even struggle. But I'd rather avoid that right now…it seems like things are getting too hot. No need to press our luck right now, so I'll be going…."

"Like I'll let you," Soi Fon responded from behind him…but the man vanished before her strike fell.

8-8-8

"The sounds have stopped," Rukia murmured. "The clashing _reiatsu_ are gone, too. Which one of them died? I can't tell, not behind these walls. Why…? No blood should be shed for me. Am I really worth shedding blood over? What would you say…Kaien- _dono_?"

8-8-8

Subduing guards through force and subtlety, Ganju and Hanatarô made their way to the base of the white tower. Ganju stared at the barrier. "This is the last door. It's a shutter-type…so how do we open it?"

"Don't worry." Hanatarô said, removing a large object from his robe. "I borrowed a spare key from the cell lock storage last night in the underground waterway."

"Are you sure you should have done that!?"

He began to unlock the door. "Probably not…but…I was thinking about how hard Kalan- _san_ was fighting, and how I always run away. I thought that was pretty uncool. I want to save Rukia- _san_ , too, so I decided to do whatever I could, no matter the consequences. But all I could do was steal a key…I guess I'm pretty useless."

"No," Ganju told him, "I think you did more than your share."

They began to open the door. It rose from the ground up, slowly and ponderously. "Jeez, everyone's so desperate to save this Rukia girl, though. She must be a real cutie pie."

"Well, not really…."

"C'mon, don't be shy! All right, let's get a look at you, Rukia!"

And then he stared in shock at the white-clad girl standing in the middle of the chamber as she turned to him. "Who are you?" she asked in confusion. "Are you…with Kalan?"

Hanatarô poked his head out from behind Ganju. "It's me, Rukia- _san_! You're all right! Thank goodness!"

"Hanatarô! What are you doing here?"

Hanatarô hurried over and grasped her wrist and began to pull her to the door. "I'll tell you later! C'mon, hurry, Ganju- _san_! There's no time to…."

He was brought up short as he realized that Ganju was standing there, frozen in shock. "Um…Ganju- _san_ …?"

Rukia stared back at the man, noticed the design on his pants. "That pattern…the tumbling current of the fallen heavens. Are you…one of the Shiba family?"

Hanatarô was confused. "Ganju- _san_ …do you know her?"

Ganju finally found his voice. "Yes. I know her. How could I ever forget that face? She's the _shinigami_ who killed my brother."

"W-what!? No, that's impossible! Rukia- _san_ would never…."

"The wounds on my brother's body were from a sword. His throat was slit, and his heart pierced. If he'd been killed by a hollow, he wouldn't have had such wounds! And besides, she admitted it herself that night! She said she killed him!" Ganju roared.

"It's all right, Hanatarô," Rukia said calmly. "He's right. If you're of the Shiba family, then your brother, Shiba Kaien- _dono_ , did indeed die by my hand."

Ganju surged forward and grabbed the collar of her _kimono_ , his face twisted in rage. "Do what you will," Rukia continued. "I won't stop you. Kill me if that's what you want."

"Please, stop, Ganju- _san_!" Hanatarô pleaded, grabbing Ganju's other arm. "This isn't what we came here for! We came here to save her! And Kalan- _san_ entrusted us with her life! The two of us!"

But then a sudden presence shook them, rendering the argument moot. The _reiatsu_ was powerful, and they turned to stare as Byakuya Kuchiki approached.

"K-Kuchiki Byakuya…" Ganju murmured. "The strongest ruler ever of one of the Four Ruling Families that make up the Shôichi, the 'True Fist'…a captain of that level! We…we don't stand a chance. Maybe he'll let us go if we beg for our lives…."

"What're you talking about, Ganju- _san_!? Let's run! We'll take Rukia- _san_ with us!"

"Are you crazy!? The only way out is across that bridge, through him! He'll kill us the moment we try! You expect me to risk my life for _her!?_ Who killed my brother!? No way! Not for her!"

Hanatarô stared at him, trembling, but he calmly said, "All right. I understand. This rescue was never personal for you, anyway…you're right. But…would you at least take her with you? I'll stay and stop him."

"Are you crazy!? Do you know…!?"

"I believe I do. I know how you feel…I wouldn't want to risk my life for an enemy, either. I'd do the same in your position."

"That's not what I mean! He's probably at least as strong as Zaraki! How can you fight that…!?"

"I know, but…I came here to save Rukia- _san_. I can't leave without trying." He bowed deeply to Ganju. "Thank you for everything! I hope we'll meet again!" And he started across the bridge towards the slowly approaching figure.

Rukia began to protest and attempted to follow Hanatarô, but Ganju cut her off, staring. _('The idiot…he doesn't even have a_ zanpaku-tô _. Look at him. He's shaking. He's scared. Stop acting tough….')_

"Darn it!" he shouted, shoving Rukia back. He stomped outside and roared, stopping Hanatarô in his tracks. He then stomped over to the little man and punted him back towards Rukia, then turned to face Byakuya. _('Forgive me, brother. Your revenge is gonna have to wait. Blame our sister for not raising me to be a coward who would abandon a friend….')_

He slammed his fists together and assumed a stance. "Okay, pretty boy! You gotta get past me!"

8-8-8

Renji lay quietly in his cell underneath the 10th Company barracks. His wrists were shackled together by the Soul Society's wooden stock handcuffs, but he was rather placid in his position all the same, and his sword was laying on a desk on the other side of his cell, yet still within.

There was a shimmer in the air, and a figure loped over to stand by his bedside. It was a _nue_ —a legendary Japanese chimeric beast, a baboon with a snake for a tail. The red-coated creature had black sigils, a kind of tattoo-like design, down its arms and shoulders, rather similar to the tattoos Renji had put across his eyebrows, the sides of his head and neck, and down his chest. "How long are you going to sleep on the job?" the baboon grumped.

"I'm fully recovered!" insisted the snake in addition. "Let's get back with it…."

"And let's fight that kid again! This time, I'll win!"

"Idiot," Renji finally muttered. "Weren't you paying attention? He's not my enemy anymore."

"…I see."

"Then who is your enemy? Who do we need to fight?"

8-8-8

In a chamber underneath the execution hill, Kalan awoke. One particular thought dominated him. "Ow," he murmured. "Wow, I really hurt. I guess that means I'm not dead."

"You're finally awake."

"Nicely done, Kiddo."

Kalan moved his head to observe the black feline and white rodent. "Yoruichi- _san_ …Kamo. I'm glad you're all right…."

"Well, we're better than you are," Kamo chuckled. "You got cut up pretty bad, but we gotcha covered. You're really coming along…."

"Yeah…I guess so. Thanks."

"Thank your own will to live," Yoruichi retorted. "I'm surprised you didn't die from your injuries."

"Well, that's me. What about everyone else?"

"I'm been in contact with most of them," Kamo replied. "It's been tough…I can't go around this manaless world as easily as I can Arcanus Myrror. Gato and Aiden are readying themselves to rendezvous with us. There's one interesting thing…it seems Aizen Sôsuke is dead…murdered."

The other two stared at him. "What?" Yoruichi demanded.

"That's what the report said. Aiden was with a captain when they got the news. Which means…."

"He's moving," Kalan murmured. "He must have faked his death…."

"Well, let's not worry about that for now," Yoruichi said. "You need to finish recovering."

Kalan grunted and sat up. "Yeah, but what about Ganju and Hanatarô? They were heading to the tower…."

Suddenly they felt a pulse of spiritual pressure. Kalan stood up in shock. "That's…up by the tower…it's him!"

He started hurrying for the light he saw at the back of the chamber, the way out. "Wait!" Yoruichi cried. "What are you doing!?"

"Hanatarô and Ganju are there. I know I'm not in any condition to fight again on such short notice, but someone has to do something." He turned back and glared levelly at Yoruichi. "If you want to keep me safe, then transform and come with me. I know you didn't carry me here as a cat. I know there's more to you than meets the eye. And if I'm gonna be safe, we're all gonna be safe. So, again: let's go, together!"

8-8-8

Byakuya stared at Ganju. "I felt a slight spiritual presence moving towards the Shi-Shinrô. I came here to see what terrible enemy had invaded, concealing its _reiatsu_ …but it ended up being only a louse. How absurd."

Ganju stared back. _('Just the sight of him gives me the willies. Such fierce_ reiatsu _…all I can do is try!')_

He charged, drawing his little square-bladed sword. Then he suddenly pulled a few bombs and raised them above his head….

And Byakuya was past him. Ganju's arm fountained blood and he dropped his bombs. "Disappear," Byakuya murmured. "My sword isn't for crushing vermin."

"N-not so fast!"

Bleeding, his crippled arm hanging limply at his side, Ganju turned to follow Byakuya. The man glanced back towards him. "Are you deaf? I told you to disappear."

"Save it, rich boy! I don't care if you _are_ some hotshot nobleman! I'm a Shiba! There's not a coward among us who'd run with his tail between his legs just like that!"

"A Shiba? I see…you're one of _them_. Then I apologize for dismissing you." He drew his sword. "You will not leave here alive."

Ganju stared in confusion as the man saluted him with his sword. Rukia began to scream. "Please don't! _Nii-sama_!"

"Scatter, Senbonzakura [The Thousand Cherry Blossoms]," Byakuya declared. The blade disappeared into a thousand nearly-invisible petal-like objects. A moment later, they raced over Ganju, slicing him all over his body.

As he began to tumble, Byakuya began to rear his hand back, apparently to continue the assault…but another white-robed captain suddenly appeared behind Byakuya, catching his wrist. He was tall, as tall as Byakuya, but seemingly thinner and almost sickly-looking, with long white hair and a kind face. "Phew!" he whistled. "It's dangerous around here! Haven't you done enough already, Kuchiki- _taichô_?"

Rukia stared at the newcomer. "U-Ukitake- _taichô_!"

"Hey, Kuchiki!" the man greeted her cheerfully. "You've lost weight! How have you been?"

"What are you doing, Ukitake?" Byakuya demanded.

"That's my line. Even to drive off _ryoka_ , there's a ban against releasing _zanpaku-tô_ here. What were you thinking?"

"A wartime exemption. It is now permitted."

Ukitake stared. "Wartime exemption…I know I've been sick recently, but what have I missed!? Are the _ryoka_ that dangerous? What Aizen killed by…?"

They felt a sudden spiritual pressure approaching. This caught Ukitake's attention, and all present stared up in wonder. "This _reiatsu_ …it has to be a captain's, but I don't recognize it! Who is it!?"

And suddenly, wearing a strange device with a wing on his arm, Kalan dropped onto the bridge next to Rukia. "K-Kalan…" she murmured, but he went past her to Hanatarô.

"Hey, are you okay, Hanatarô? Sorry, I shouldn't have sent you guys on ahead like that. Where's Ganju?" He turned and glanced at the fallen man. "…Oh. He looks rough." Finally he returned to Rukia. "Yo. Seems you can't keep out of trouble for one minute. I'd say I'm here to rescue you, which is true, but we might have to save that for a little later. I don't have enough energy to save everyone right now…so just hold on tight, and I'll be back."

"A-are you crazy!?" Rukia suddenly burst out, seeming rather angry. "Who told you to rescue me!? I don't need rescuing…!"

"If you're going to be executed, and you think you don't need rescuing, _you_ are the one who's crazy. Well, we don't have time for this comedy routine right now. I can't even do anything at the moment, so I don't have the right to say much. But once I'm ready, I'm coming back for you, and you can complain all you like to no avail. For now, though…since my backup isn't here yet, I'll have to play with him a little."

As he started towards the two captains, drawing his sword, Jûshirô Ukitake stared at the boy. "Kuchiki- _taichô_ ….who is that boy?"

"He's no one. Just a _ryoka_. I'll dispose of him, and then this trifling conflict will come to an end."

Kalan had approached enough to hear the exchange. "That's awfully presumptuous. If you had wanted to do that, you should have attacked while I was talking to your sister."

"To whom do you think you are speaking?" Byakuya demanded. "Did you think I would attack while your guard was down? You've got a big mouth, boy."

He unleashed his _reiatsu_ , letting his presence simply flow out in challenge, causing Hanatarô and Rukia to quake and fall to their knees. Kalan simply assumed his guard, unfazed. "I see," Byakuya said almost appreciatively. "This much spiritual pressure doesn't faze you. You are a strange boy. I don't know why you suddenly felt compelled to go back on your word and disturb the peace of the Seireitei, but you made a mistake in coming here. Only your death awaits."

"You don't know why?" Kalan spat. "The life of your sister means so little you can't imagine anyone would try to save it? That's all this is, Kuchiki Byakuya. I won't let an innocent life be sacrificed for nothing…or, worse, for evil. You don't know anything about it, and worse, you're not even asking questions. So I guess of course you don't know why. So it doesn't matter. I'll just have to beat you and move on."

Byakuya was silent for a moment. "Like I said, boy…you've got a big mouth."

He vanished. _('He's faster than Kenpachi…but….')_

Kalan turned and caught Byakuya's sword on his own. "A big mouth…haven't heard that one before. But I have the eyes…I see you, Kuchiki Byakuya."

He repelled the man. "It'd be fun to tangle with you, but it feels like my backup is arriving. That's my cue to depart…."

And Yoruichi, in woman form, alighted down next to Kalan. The two captains stared at her, eyes widening in recognition. "You're just in time," Kalan remarked. "Let's split."

The two flashed into action. Yoruichi appeared by Ganju and hoisted him over her shoulder in a surprisingly smooth motion. Kalan dashed to Hanatarô, snatched him up, and leapt off the bridge.

"It was good to see you again, Byakuya, Ukitake," Yoruichi said. "We have to be going now, though…the boy's far beyond my expectations, but he's not out of his chrysalis quite yet. A few more days, and that will change. I'll be seeing you…."

"I won't allow it," Byakuya said. "You cannot escape from here, Yoruichi."

"Oh?" She smiled at him. "Do you consider yourself my equal? Have you ever once beaten me in Chase-the-Devil, Byakuya?"

"Shall we have a go?" They began to dance around, using _shunpo_ rapidly to begin their chase.

Yoruichi appeared up on a roof and Byakuya appeared behind her. "Did you think you could escape me with a _shunpo_ like that?" he demanded, and cut her down.

But then Yoruichi appeared, unharmed, some further distance behind him. "Did you really think you could catch me with a _shunpo_ like _that_?" Yoruichi retorted. "Three days. Kalan Lockeheart will be far stronger than you in three days' time. I know it's self-serving of us, but we won't tangle with you during that time. Chase me if you wish. Yoruichi 'The Flash Master' will not be caught by the likes of you." And then she vanished.

8-8-8

In the early evening the entire party was once again gathered together, inside Yoruichi's secret base under the Sôkyoku Hill. Saber and Jynx had been pulled from battle with a blind, goggle-wearing captain by Aiden, and after a vicious struggle against the bizarre scientist Mayuri Kurotsuchi Eishun and Aeli were picked up by Gato, aided in their findings by Kamo. Kalan and Yoruichi were already there with their own rescued teammates (more or less). Hanatarô administered to the stricken Ganju while the group caught up on their activity so far.

"I felt that energy. That was _insane_ ," Jynx remarked. "Does that mean your power's back, Kalan?"

"Not at all," Kalan said. "I won't get it back, either—not here in Soul Society. Your powers have been translated into instinctive spiritual power equivalents. I finally know why mine haven't—simply because my natural spiritual powers are too great. So I'm just learning how to use those. I suppose I should focus on these 'Quincy' powers I'm supposed to have. It's too bad I don't have a teacher for that…."

"Well…you might," Yoruichi mentioned. "If Kisuke's theory was correct, we might be able to find a way to really bring your power out." She produced a doll, a large semi-humanoid in shape but nearly completely flat white silhouette. "I should quickly explain this….

"This is Kisuke's invention, which he used to achieve _Bankai_. With one exception—Zaraki Kenpachi, whom you fought—all present and past (and future) captains have to demonstrate the second, ultimate sword release of their _zanpaku-tô_ , the _Bankai_. Eishun already experienced that from Kurotsuchi Mayuri earlier. It normally takes ten years to learn _Bankai_ and another dozen or so afterwards simply to make it viable in combat.

"But Kisuke took a short cut. A _hinigami_ masters their first release, _Shikai_ , by internalizing and communicating with their _zanpaku-tô_. A _Bankai_ requires them to externalize the _zanpaku-tô_ 's spirit and force it into submission." She smiled slightly as suspicion stole over Kalan's face. "Yes, you've experienced something similar. Kisuke mastered his _Bankai_ in three days by using this doll to force his _zanpaku-tô_ 's external manifestation. You're not a _hinigami_ , and you have no _zanpaku-tô_ …but the power of the Quincy you possess seems to have some similar spirit attached to it. If you were to pierce this doll with your spiritual energy, you could cause that spirit to externalize."

"I see…and if this part of me has the powers of the Quincy, he might be able to teach me the techniques and the way to use them." Kalan nodded. "Okay, I'll give this a try."

Yoruichi held the doll for him, and he formed a shimmering blade of spiritual energy in his hand, then thrust it into the doll. A light encompassed and obscured the doll, and it transformed….

"Hey again," Kalan said to the black-robed man. "You're more than just a mental image this time."

"You heard?" Yoruichi asked the man curtly.

"Yes."

"Then I'll leave the method to you."

The man nodded to Kalan. "The reason that your friends have all of their magical powers and you do not stems from the fact that they do not have any appreciable spiritual powers. Therefore, your magical gate which transformed your physical forms into spirits similarly copied their powers and made them spiritual equivalents. You, however, have too much spiritual power…your magical powers were unable to overwrite them, and so, for now, they have disappeared. When you return to the world of Arcanus Myrror, they should return without incident.

"But that does nothing for you here and now. You are already starting to grasp it—the power of the spiritual energy you carry—but in order to gain a measure of the power you are used to, you must learn to wield the powers of the Quincy. I shall teach you…."

Kalan's friends looked on as, within this strange, massive stone-pillared chamber, Kalan and this strange black-robed man battled, the man using strange techniques and instructing Kalan in their use….

8-8-8

There was a crash and a thud, two thumps, and the splintering of steel. Renji stepped from his confinement, his cell's bars cut to ribbons, and past the two now-comatose guards. "C'mon…Zabimaru."

Within her own cell underneath the 10th Company barracks, Momo sat in _seiza_. She stared at the note one last time and then rolled it back up, tied it, and slipped it inside her robe. Then she stood with purpose and walked over to the bars.

And a short time later, Izuru raged against himself in his own cell. The only adornment he'd allowed in the room was a simple wooden chair, which was largely splintered, all the legs already broken. Izuru wore a kind of straitjacket, restricting his arms. "I…drew my sword against Hinamori. What have I done? I'm so terrible…how could I? I'm…the absolute worst!"

There was a sound outside and he whipped his head towards the bars. "Who…who is it!?"

"Whoa," murmured a soft teasing voice. "This is ugly. I can't even look."

Izuru stared as Gin Ichimaru walked over to stand in front of the bars. "C-Captain!"

"You look tired," Gin said. "Poor thing." He reached out and took one of the bars in his hand. "Would you like my help? Come with me…Izuru…."

F I N

 _Author's Note: The End Looms_

 _The sheer immensity of this arc escaped my notice somewhat when I began it…even focusing largely on Kalan and ignoring everyone else, this has already been two long chapters and will be (hopefully only) one more long chapter before it ends._

 _So, not a lot more to say here. The story is progressing apace, quite after the fashion of Ichigo's adventure, but Kalan has to deal with his Quincy powers instead of a_ zanpaku-tô _. To a degree when he confronts Byakuya, but more prominently when he confronts Aizen, how I've strung together this whole thing will be made clear._

 _The 'spirit' or whatever you want to call it that Kalan meets is sort-of 'Zangetsu', Ichigo's blade. Later arcs—those that reveal Ichigo's Quincy background—have been quite generous with describing interesting facts about Quincies, and the 'Zangetsu' Ichigo has been familiar with all this time is revealed to be not his_ zanpaku-tô _, but the personification of his Quincy power, in the image of the great Quincy patriarch. So, it was natural to give this spirit to Kalan to guide and mentor him to the mastery of his spiritual powers._

 _So, let's finish it up…._


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit fictional story, a FanFiction based on Ken Akamatsu's Negima. I do not own Negima, or most of the other characters included in this work, excepting where it is stated in the author's notes. It is not intended or presented for any commercial profit or personal gain; it is simply a story written for personal fulfillment and presented for public enjoyment, and as an honest homage to the fine story conceived and written by Ken Akamatsu, as well as all the other (innumerable) works that find place herein (and their authors).

The History of the Red Wings, Part Six: The Twin Conspiracies

The group availed themselves of the amenities of Yoruichi's lair…a rather amazing place she claimed that was hers and Kisuke's 'secret playground' that they had secretly made underneath the Sôkyoku Hill during their younger days. They took turns training on their own, resting up and watching Kalan's progress in training with the strange dark man. The two dueled with bows and swords constructed of spiritual energy, and seemed to freely adjust the shape of the weapons. There seemed to be other tricks they were using as well, but the youths, ignorant of the complexities of Quincy techniques, couldn't judge what they were.

Finally Yoruichi roped the man, and he transformed back into the white doll. "You can drop your weapons, Kalan," Yoruichi informed him as he glanced at her. "Day one is over. How was it?"

"Great," Kalan replied. "I'm learning a lot. We'll see how it works in real combat later…but I'm definitely learning."

Yoruichi led Kalan to a hot springs which his friends had already had occasion to avail themselves of. He found to his astonishment as he dunked himself in it that it was a powerful healing spring, curing his wounds, cuts, and bruises. As he enjoyed this little comfort, Yoruichi returned and, remarking that she hadn't had a chance to use it yet herself, loudly declared that she would join him. Kalan, still a child, was only a little put off by this, although Yoruichi did transform herself into a cat for it after teasing him a little.

"I'm actually a little put out," Yoruichi said. "Usually because of how I sound in this form people assume that I'm male, but you weren't surprised at all…you _expected_ me to be a woman."

He shrugged. "I felt it, somehow. I'm not sure why. Just my instincts, I guess."

Yoruichi chuckled. "And what instincts they are. You're a remarkable boy, Kalan…it will be pretty amazing to see you as an adult…."

"If I make it that long," the boy replied glibly. "They say the candle that burns twice as hot burns half as long…but we'll see, I suppose."

8-8-8

 _[The girl lay on the ground. She had no strength to move, or do anything…she simply stared out across the ground, waiting to die…._

 _Suddenly a small dried fruit was thrust before her eyes. "Eat this."_

 _She managed to glance up at him…a boy, about her age, in rough black clothing, with short silver hair and narrowed eyes. "The fact that you passed out from hunger means that you must have it, too. Spirit energy."_

 _"You…too…?"_

 _"Yeah. Me too. I'm Ichimaru Gin. Nice to meet you."_

 _"Gin…that's a strange name…."_

Rangiku suddenly opened her eyes wide and sat up. The remnant of her dream…no, her memory…lingered in her mind….

"Are you awake, Matsumoto?"

Rangiku glanced over the couch at the small figure seated at the desk at the back of the room. "Captain…what are you doing in my room?"

"Idiot! This is the office, not your room! If you're awake, then take over for me." He held up a sheaf of papers he had been signing.

"It's your own fault for taking on 5th Company's work," she insisted as she rose and wandered over. "Kosuke was perfectly willing to take care of it…."

"Be quiet. Take this and go to your desk."

She took them, and was surprised by the volume. "Is this all that's left? But there were stacks!"

"Just shut up and do it!" Tôshirô insisted, taking a drink of his tea.

For a rare moment, Rangiku was actually regretful. "I must have slept for a long time."

"Forget it. It must have been hard…seeing your old classmate and Hinamori like that."

Rangiku thought on the comment long and hard. "…Classmate…huh…. Captain…do you really think Gin…that is, that Ichimaru- _taichô_ did it…?"

Before Tôshirô could grasp a satisfactory answer, there was a shout from outside, a soldier announcing himself and asking for his officers. He came in at Tôshirô's request and reported his findings from the 6th, 9th and 10th Company cells: Momo, Izuru, and Renji were all missing there from.

They hurried to the location, and Tôshirô paid special attention to Momo's cell. The guard responsible for it made obeisance to his captain. "I have no excuse. When Hinamori- _sanseki_ called me, I turned around, and everything went white. When I woke up…I have absolutely no excuse."

"She must have used _Hakufuku_ [White Concealment]," Tôshirô remarked. "Hinamori's a master of _kidô_. We should have sealed her powers if we were serious about locking her up. But the reason we didn't…was because no one thought she would go this far." He glanced back at the cell, where an orb of destruction had made a hole in the bars…and the back wall.

"It's not like _she_ was going to be executed, so why?" Rangiku demanded.

"There's only one reason." Tôshirô reached a hand back behind him to grab his sword hilt. "Go back without me, Matsumoto. I'm going to rescue Hinamori."

Momo raced across the rooftops, her hand clutching the letter. _('This letter…it's so unbelievable. But I have to believe it…it's true, isn't it, Aizen-_ taichô _? The one who killed you is….')_

8-8-8

"Those new powers…seem amazing," Aeli commented. "You're as powerful as ever, and yet…something about this new power seems…unsettling."

"We won't know how unsettling until I use it for real," Kalan replied. "I think I understand some of the fears the Soul Reapers had about Quincies…we'll see how it goes. Rescuing Rukia shouldn't be a problem now…but dealing with the conspiracy…that will be the trouble."

He finished his meal and stared up at the ceiling, seemingly looking past the walls that confined them. "There's something off about tonight. I'm going to go out and take a look around."

Yoruichi glanced over to stare at him for a moment while he rose. "I suppose I can't stop you. But if you're going out, you should be careful…."

"I know. But there are several powers on the move out there right now…and something about this strikes me as odd. I won't be long."

Kamo hopped onto his shoulder. "I'll come along…I can't do much right now, but at least I'm another pair of eyes and ears…."

8-8-8

Gin and Izuru walked along under the light of the moon. A figure was revealed to be in their path. "I knew I'd find you two together," Tôshirô remarked. "Just as I thought. Only Kira's cell was opened from the outside. You didn't cover your tracks very well…Ichimaru."

"Heh," Gin chuckled. "Cover my tracks? I did that on purpose…so's you'd know."

"I'm glad I got here before Hinamori. I'm going to kill you before she gets here…."

Suddenly an explosion caught his eye, off some distance behind him, and he whirled to stare that direction. "Oh my," Gin said. "That was Hinamori- _chan_ 's _zanpaku-tô_ , wasn't it? Maybe she isn't coming here after all…?"

"Hinamori!" Tôshirô took off that direction.

8-8-8

Kalan settled on a roof not far from the massive execution plateau. _('Lots of people moving about…but most importantly, someone's coming this way….')_

The figure lighted down across from him, short, though not, of course, as short as he was, in black with medium-length black hair tied in a side tail. He stared at Momo as the girl rose from her arriving crouch and turned to regard him. "So…you must be Kalan Lockeheart?" she demanded. "I've finally found you."

"So you have," Kalan remarked quietly. "And who are you? And…how'd you find me so easily?"

"I'm Hinamori Momo, Third Seat of the 5th Company of the Gotei 13." She drew her sword and pointed it Kalan's way. "This…is for Aizen- _taichô_."

Kalan raised an eyebrow. "Oh? What's that supposed to mean?"

"Don't play dumb with me! Snap! Tobiume!"

Kalan dodged the explosion released from the sword. Momo stepped above him and came down swinging. Kalan pulled a sword from his cloak and blocked the strike. "What's this about then? Do you have a reason to kill me? Is something wrong with your captain?"

"Don't toy with me! Aizen- _taichô_ is dead! And you killed him!"

"I'm afraid you've lost me there…."

"Aizen- _taichô_ told me! He left a letter, revealing everything…!"

 _'If you are reading this, then I am probably dead. Therefore, I confide the truth of what I have discovered to the one I trust the most. The truth about why Kuchiki Rukia must be executed, and why the execution date keeps changing. In the course of my investigation, I reached a conclusion. The true goal of the execution is not to kill Kuchiki Rukia, but that something might be stolen. And that something is…the Sôkyoku. An ancient weapon of power intended for the purpose of killing_ hinigami _captains who transgress the highest laws of the Soul Society, it possesses the power of a million_ zanpaku-tô _, and, when executing a captain, can enhance its power even more. The man who plans to perpetrate this crime…is the_ ryoka _, Kalan Lockeheart._

 _'Kalan is part of a terrorist organization in Arcanus Myrror, called the Obsidian Star, plotting to overthrow all the kingdoms of Arcanus Myrror and, now, the Soul Society as well, in order to create their own world.'_

"'Tonight, I plan to confront him, and I have tracked him to the Sacred Eastern Wall,'" Momo quoted. "'I must foil his plan at all costs. I am prepared to cross swords with him…but if I die…Hinamori…please, carry on for me…Kalan Lockeheart's base is in a secret lair underneath Sôkyoku Hill. Please…kill him. I ask this of you, not as captain of 5th Company, but as a man….'"

Tears were streaming down Momo's cheeks. Then, with a scream of rage, she leapt at Kalan again.

"You…are really fond of Aizen Sôsuke, aren't you?" he murmured, quite calmly, but anger was burning in his chest. Not at being accused—it was an obvious and acceptable plot—but by Aizen's obvious manipulation of such a gentle spirit. This girl was surprisingly strong…her sword skills and raw _reiatsu_ were not at Renji's level, but her power and skill with _kidô_ were exceptional, making her an even more dangerous combatant. Yet still, to set a girl like this on him…it couldn't have been to kill him. If Aizen really thought she could manage it, even driven by rage and grief, and even if she was a harmless-seeming girl…then Aizen wasn't as brilliant as he was supposed to be. No…it wasn't to kill him….

 _('That monster…he's trying to use me to kill her….')_

"You're confused about a few things," Kalan insisted as they struggled. "I didn't kill Aizen. I doubt he's even dead…I'm certain he's not. He's the one behind this entire conspiracy…I don't know anything about this supposed 'Obsidian Star' or any weird plan to steal some weapon that's far too big to use…."

"Stop lying to me! Don't you dare trample on Aizen- _taichô_ 's memory!"

"This girl's crazy," Kamo noted, still sitting calmly for once on Kalan's shoulder. "It doesn't look like we can get through to her…."

Ignoring Kamo, Kalan stepped into her next swing and caught her hands in his own grip, holding her. "Listen," he insisted. "What on earth are you even trying? If I was capable of killing your captain, what chance do you really think you have? I just learned the difference between captains and lesser _hinigami_. Just stop this nonsense!"

As Momo struggled against Kalan's grip, a new figure suddenly appeared twenty meters to the left of him. "Hinamori!" Tôshirô yelled. "What are you…!?"

"Shirô- _chan_ …this is the man who killed Aizen! He's…!"

Kalan suddenly put Momo down with a hilt strike to her solar plexus. As the girl collapsed in his arms, Tôshirô jumped and started moving that way. "Hinamo—!"

"Ah, ah!" Kalan pointed his blade at the young man. "Sorry, Kid…this girl's a bit of a danger to herself right now…I'm going to have to take care of her for a while. Later." And he vanished.

"Wait…!"

8-8-8

The group was rather surprised when Kalan returned with his burden. Eishun adjusted his glasses carefully. "Kalan," he said finally, "what is this?"

"It's a _hinigami_ ," Kalan explained patiently. "I was sure you knew. You must have seen hundreds of them by now…."

"That's not what I meant! What I mean is, why did you go out for a stroll and come back with a young female _hinigami_!? What are you, a Neanderthal bringing back your conquered female!?"

"Wow," Aiden whistled. "Little Kalan is really growing up. What will he do next, I wonder…?"

Wordlessly, Kalan handed over Momo's letter to Gato, who read it…aloud, after perusing it. "That would explain a few things. This man is…."

"A vicious and cruel bastard, that's for sure," Kalan muttered. "If this goes as he plans, he won't need any of the _hinigami_ anymore…so he's trying to get others to clean up his messes for him. Unfortunately…with the state this deluded girl is in, and with the information he gave her…we can't let her go right now, unless we want to pack up and leave." He turned to Yoruichi. "Do you know how he found out about this place?"

Yoruichi shook her head and sighed. "I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised…he's had a hundred years since we left the Soul Society to find whatever secrets we left behind. It's bad enough that he's found out…but right now, with his supposed death, he has to hold off until the execution before doing anything too big.

"Speaking of which, you need to finish your training before the execution so you can stop it…and stop _him_. And part of training is getting proper rest…so you should get yourself off to bed. We have to start early again tomorrow…I'll take care of your prisoner."

"Ah, being sent to bed…I don't think that's happened since I was in the university," Kalan smirked.

8-8-8

Yoruichi was awake first; she made her preparations and watched Kalan from above after he rose, ate the breakfast Aeli and Eishun worked to cook for him, and began stretching and warming up. She held the doll's rope in her hand as she considered. _('Kalan has improved rapidly…of course, in the flesh he was a genius Archmage, but even so, with his spiritual powers interfering with all the power he previously possessed, he's managed to adjust to his new powers and is well on the way to mastering them as well. However…that's merely his talents and skills. His raw power hasn't increased much since he first came to the Soul Society, and as great as it is, it might not be enough for the ultimate contest…._

 _('This technique is certainly working, but it was designed for_ hinigami _and their_ zanpaku-tô _, not for Quincies…there is inherent risk to the soul, and even as strong as Kalan is, I don't know how long he can last. Kisuke mastered his_ Bankai _in three days with this technique, and thought that any more than that would be too dangerous. We have probably five days before the execution if we need it, but…is it worth the risk?_

 _('Well, we should try one more day, and see how it goes….')_

8-8-8

As Kalan began his new day's training, Jynx nervously approached the prisoner with a plate of food. She was in another room that had been specifically prepared as her cell, and it was a nice enough room, but as soon as Jynx opened the door she hurled her body at him, her wrists bound behind her. Jynx avoided her with all the skill of a matador and stared down at her as she thrashed about violently on the floor. "Let me go! I'll kill you! You all have to be responsible!"

Jynx sighed and softly stopped her by putting a foot on her back. "Please, stop that. If we were really dangerous killers and criminals, don't you think we'd have killed you instead of keeping you here? Or something…in any case, we're not the bad guys here. Can't you calm down? You can't go on without eating, right?" He waved the plate meaningfully.

Momo finally stopped her thrashing, and Jynx put her back into the room and onto a chair, and then (using magic) fed her. "You really should cut us some slack," Jynx informed her. "Whatever you think you saw, this is obviously some elaborate setup. Can't you see it? I may be new to the Soul Society, but it seems pretty obvious that a murder of the level everyone seems to be talking about is pretty impossible. Kalan dueled and killed a _hinigami_ captain in the middle of the night, after taking on another captain in a battle that shook your _Seireitei_ , and then was able to so easily present his corpse on a wall for everyone to see the next morning…and yet nobody heard or felt anything?"

Momo glared at him. "You can say whatever you like. I know nothing about Kalan Lockeheart…or what he's capable of. But I know Aizen- _taichô_ …I know his face, the face on that body that was hung on the wall…I know his handwriting, his calligraphy and his signature, it was undoubtedly all over that letter he left me. I don't know why you've left me alive and why you're trying to convince me you aren't the monsters I know you are…but it isn't going to work…I won't listen to anything you say."

Jynx sighed and rose, then headed for the door. "I guess we'll just have to see what happens. We'll take care of this whole mess…and everything will be settled, one way or the other."

8-8-8

Kosuke Ichigami stared at Tôshirô while the young man raved. "What are you doing, Ichigami!? Your captain is dead, your Third Seat has been kidnapped…do you care at all!?"

"You should be calmer, Hitsugaya- _taichô_ ," the lieutenant replied levelly. "A captain should not allow his emotions to sway his judgment. It is not as if Hinamori- _chan_ is _your_ Third Seat. I know that you grew up together and are close, but…."

"Th-that's…!"

"In any case," the man continued, pushing at his glasses, "there's not much we can do about it right now. The entire Soul Society is already searching for the _ryoka_. We still do not know their objectives. They seem to be interested in the condemned prisoner, Kuchiki Rukia, but that is only supposition, and may be a feint. If they are responsible for killing Aizen- _taichô_ , then they have defeated three of our captains on our own turf and successfully escaped from nearly all the others after minor confrontations. Reckless behavior now will only endanger the Soul Society further."

As Tôshirô ground his teeth in frustration, his lieutenant put in, "We don't even know if he is responsible for the death of Aizen- _taichô_. And if he did kill Aizen, and if he defeated Ikkaku, Renji, and even Zaraki- _taichô_ , then why on earth did he simply kidnap Hinamori? It would have taken him one half-hearted swing to end her. We know that they struggled for some time before you arrived, Captain, and yet he refused to do anything to harm her…?"

Suddenly a black butterfly approached them. "A Hell Butterfly…?" Rangiku murmured.

The butterfly, the Soul Society's messenger, began to broadcast: " _Attention all Captains and Vice-Captains. There has been a final change to the schedule of the execution of Kuchiki Rukia. The execution will be carried out 29 hours from now. There will be no further changes. That is all_."

Tôshirô stared in shock. "Tomorrow!? Why on earth is it getting moved up so quickly!?" He turned and stalked out of the barracks, Rangiku hurrying after him, leaving Kosuke behind.

"I'm not sure if Ichimaru was involved in Aizen's death or not…I don't know if Kalan Lockeheart is really involved in it or not. But the execution has something major to do with all of this. We can't let it proceed. Come with me, Matsumoto…we're going to stop the execution."

8-8-8

A shadow approached the execution hill, staring up at the wall. "No doubt about it…that's his _reiatsu_ …."

Inside, Yoruichi watched Kalan battle his dark counterpart. _('I've never seen such an array of Quincy powers…Kalan's skills are developing rapidly. Of course, now that he knows all the facts, it's simply re-learning all the techniques and experience he already had…but still…why do I feel so uneasy…? It's as if something ominous is approaching….')_

There was an explosion and a figure dropped into the secret hall. Kalan stared as he recognized the _reiatsu_ of the intruder, and all his friends came running from their various corners to defend their base. "I wondered what you were doing down here. You don't have a _zanpaku-tô_ , but you seem to be doing some sort of major training…looks like you're having fun." With his transformed _zanpaku-tô_ across his shoulder, he stepped through the smoke and grinned at Kalan. "Mind if I join you?"

"W-wait a minute…that guy?" Jynx muttered somewhat fearfully. "But…."

"Renji," Kalan muttered.

"You're wondering what I'm doing here, right?" Renji said, still smiling broadly. "Well, it's pretty simple. There's not much time left, and I needed a place to focus on training."

"Not much time left?" Eishun demanded. "What do you mean?"

Renji glanced askew at the man, took in the rest of Kalan's companions, and finally focused on Kalan himself. "I guess I should tell you…the date of Rukia's execution has been moved up. It's at noon tomorrow. I hate to say it, but right now I'm not strong enough to save her yet. So that's why I'm here. Take it easy…I won't get in the way of your training." As he started walking to his own corner of the cavern, he lowered his sword and it began to glow. "I'll be focusing on my _Bankai_. I can already externalize my _zanpaku-tô_." There was a mist that rose from his sword, moving next to him and forming a large tattooed _nue_. "So don't mind me. I'll just be doing my thing over there."

"T-tomorrow…" Yoruichi muttered, sweating slightly. "There's no way…we won't be ready in time…."

Suddenly Kalan called her attention by slamming a fist into his palm, loudly shattering the two _reiatsu_ blades he held. "Don't be ridiculous. A time limit? Not a problem. Three days, or three hours…at this stage, there's no problem. If the deadline is noon tomorrow, I'll be ready by noon tomorrow!"

8-8-8

Rukia lay on the bare floor of her huge cell, staring at the ceiling…but not really. Her thoughts were elsewhere. "The execution is tomorrow. Before they execute me, I'll ask them to let Kalan and his friends return to the Living World without incident. I am a Kuchiki…they might honor my request. It's interesting…changing the date came as a shock, but now…I'm calm. Strangely, I wasn't sad…it must be because of the dream I had last night…that dream of the night I will never forget…."

Her memories recalled her life after entering the Soul Reaper Academy alongside Renji, being relegated to the 'B' class, then being adopted by the Kuchiki…being graduated immediately because of her status, and being relegated to 13th Company without a seat. She was a Kuchiki, yet her adoptive brother, the family head, Byakuya Kuchiki, never so much as looked at her.

She met her lieutenant…who didn't care one whit for her previous or current status. Her resigned greeting to him elicited his swift wrath and punishment, which was followed by a swift forgiveness and an assurance that she was part of a new family, and Kaien Shiba, if not her father, was very much her accepting big brother.

She adored her lieutenant, and admired his wife, their third seat…but on that tragic night she was present with Kaien at the barracks when word was brought back that his wife had been killed by a hollow. With Kaien and her captain, Jûshirô Ukitake, they tracked the hollow to its lair and Kaien, alone, confronted it. A powerful lieutenant, he was more than a match for it, even when it destroyed his _zanpaku-tô_ with its strange ability, until finally it revealed its true power…to invade and completely subvert the spiritual body of its foe, and thus Kaien was taken over by the hollow he was trying to kill. Ukitake ordered Rukia to retreat, which, in fear, she did…but, consumed by guilt and unable to face her cowardice, she returned. Ukitake finally slashed Kaien's throat, determined to kill the hollow since his lieutenant couldn't be saved, but his chronic illness came upon him at the same time Rukia returned. The hollow leapt at Rukia…and she ran him through even as he fell upon her. The words of Kaien, returning to control and consciousness as he was dying, thanked Rukia, and continued thanking her all the way to the Shiba house where she left the body in the care of his sister. She felt only guilt over the action, however, guilt that had plagued her to this day. She felt that it would be only justice that she finally die to atone for her sins….

8-8-8

The day finally dawned. Kalan was finishing his training with his nameless partner while Renji geared himself up and prepared to head out. "Right…I'm going."

"See you around," Kalan replied simply.

Renji stared at the boy and spoke to Yoruichi before leaving. "Yoruichi- _san_ …will he be ready in time?"

"Don't worry. He's more than ready. I'm certain of that."

"How…?"

"Do you remember walking for the first time, Renji?"

"What? Of course not!"

"That's because you weren't aware of it. What made you stand up? People know how to walk from birth. Birds know how to fly. Fish know how to swim. That's instinct. And all of Kalan's power isn't simple genius…it's because of his instinct. More than anyone I've ever seen, he has an instinct for power. That's how I know…he will rescue Rukia, and end this whole charade…hopefully, once and for all…."

8-8-8

The various captains around the Soul Society prepared themselves alongside their lieutenants, all of them with various feelings and takes on the situation. A few went to the execution….

More went out to battle.

Saber, Jynx and Aeli went out into the city, semi-disguised as _hinigami_ , and encountered the revived Kenpachi and his minions. To their surprise, Kenpachi was interested in helping and befriending Kalan…so they could have more battles together, but, understanding that Kalan had other concerns, he was going to help them end the execution, and so the three were swept into his very lost little party.

Before too long, they encountered two more captains…Kaname Tôsen of 9th Company and Sajin Komamura of 7th Company, who were determined to capture the _ryoka_ that Kenpachi was now harboring.

Renji found his way up to the execution site barred by his captain, Byakuya Kuchiki. Determined to surpass him and rescue Rukia, Renji unleashed his new _Bankai_ …

Yet Byakuya and his weapon proved the stronger.

"The difference between us is one of class…you are like the monkey in the proverb," Byakuya told him as he fell. "It sees the moon in a reflection of water and dips his fangs in to grab it, yet all he will ever get is water. Your fangs will never reach me."

Renji reflected on the truth of these words, but, somehow perceiving Kalan's determination and struggling, he vowed to himself that he would rescue Rukia and made one last desperate thrust. His weakened blade broke off against Byakuya's iron-hard _reiatsu_ , and he collapsed at his captain's feet, but Byakuya stared down at the man with renewed interest. Finally, Byakuya removed his expensive scarf and cast it on the body. "Well done," he murmured. "Your fangs did reach me."

Rukia, being walked across the bridge, bound and guarded, felt Renji's disappearing spiritual power and turned that direction, screaming in despair. Then, as she feared for her friend, her resolve to die was shaken by the appearance of Gin Ichimaru. The captain who had most frightened and disturbed her, Gin troubled her already fragile will by, just for a moment, suggesting he might rescue her _and_ Renji, before offering a 'Just kidding' and heading back up to the Sôkyoku.

And there, only the 2nd, 8th, 4th and 1st Companies were wholly represented. Even excusing the companies with wounded or ill (or dead) captains, Soi Fon remarked upon the low turnout.

Byakuya finally showed up as well, and the sight of his cold face returned Rukia's resolve to face her death with peace. When the head captain stood forward and asked for her last words, she requested clemency for Kalan and the other _ryoka_. The old man, surprisingly, agreed.

"How cruel," murmured 4th Company Vice-Captain Isane Kotetsu, whose younger sister Kiyone was third seat in Rukia's 13th Company (co-3rd Seat with another). "He doesn't intend to let them live…."

"It's not cruelty, Isane…it's compassion," countered her captain, Retsu Unohana, the chief medic of the Seireitei. "At least she'll die with some peace of mind…."

8-8-8

The sight was impressive as Rukia was raised by the power of the scaffold into position high above, and the ropes binding the massive halberd whipped away and it rose into the air. It then transformed into a massive firebird and stared at its target.

Rukia kept her mind peaceful, reflecting on her life and being grateful for those who had touched her and shaped her. _('I'm not afraid. I've had a good life. Renji befriended me._ Nii-sama _took me in. Kaien-_ dono _guided me. And Kalan tried to rescue me. I feel no pain, no sorrow…I have no regrets. My heart will go on. Thank you…all of you….)_

"Goodbye," she whispered as the gigantic personification of the Sôkyoku, the Kikô-Ô, prepared to make its attack….

There was an explosion…several, actually. The explosion of his arrival, and then the explosion of his first action. He was not exactly an imposing figure, standing there in midair with his too-large white cloak wrapped around his shoulders, staring at Rukia, one hand behind him casually holding the gigantic bird at bay.

"Ka…Kalan!"

"Hey," Kalan replied calmly.

Relief began to wash over Rukia's features, and then they suddenly turned angry. "You fool! Why did you come back!? You should realize by now! You can't beat my brother! This time he'll kill you for sure! I've made my peace with death! I don't want your help! Go away!"

"That's…impossible!" breathed Soi Fon down below. "He's stopped the destructive power of a million _zanpaku-tô_ …with his bare hand!? Who…who is he!?"

Shunsui stared up with the rest. "Nanao- _chan_ …is that boy the _ryoka_ everyone's been talking about?"

"Yes. He matches the description in the reports."

"Hmm. So, in the end, the _ryoka_ saves the day…Kalan Lockeheart, eh…?"

The firebird, screaming, withdrew from Kalan and prepared for a second thrust. Kalan turned to face it fully this time. "So, going again? Give it your best shot, bird-brain…."

As Rukia began to protest this, three new figures suddenly came running onto the scene. Jûshirô Ukitake, carrying some strange shield and cords in his hands, lassoed the bird's neck with said cords and prepared the device. One end of the cord was tied to some sort of baton, which Shunsui dashed over and slammed into the ground. "Hey. What took you?" he asked his old friend.

"Sorry. I had trouble releasing it. But now I'm ready!"

Soi Fon stared at the crest on the shield as the two captains drew their swords and prepared to cut into it. She whirled to her lieutenant. "Stop them! They're going to destroy the Sôkyoku!"

"W-what!? Me!?"

But it was too late. As their swords cut into the strange device, power flowed up the cord's two sides towards the bird and, an instant later, it transformed back into its halberd form and broke in half.

Kalan stared at the scene for just a moment. "Well. Guess I should be glad I have some unexpected help…this is going to be one big chaotic mess, so I'll take what I can get." Then he stepped onto the scaffold above Rukia and formed a giant blade of _reishi_ in his hand.

"W-wait! What are you doing!?" Rukia demanded.

"Getting you out of here."

He thrust his blade into the scaffold and there was a massive explosion. The next instant, the center of the giant structure was destroyed, and Kalan stood above, Rukia held somewhat comically (due to the fact that she was actually bigger than he was) in his arms. "Blah, blah, no rescue, blah, blah," Kalan said. "I went through a lot of trouble to save you in the first place, and now you're saying you _want_ to die? I don't buy it. I'm rejecting all your protests. I'm not letting you get killed because of someone's sick game. You're going to live, and you're going to like it. This time, I'm rescuing you."

Rukia half-smiled under the boy's determination. "Don't expect me to thank you, fool."

"Fine."

Suddenly there was the sound of fighting and another figure arrived on the plateau…bandaged but fully healed, Renji stood there, the normal guards all falling unconscious around him.

"Renji!" Rukia cried in delight upon seeing her friend alive and well, but she didn't get much more out before Kalan began to shift his hold on her. And then he suddenly hurled her across the plateau into Renji with a single command of 'Catch!'

The two tumbled end-over-end for a moment before they came up, Renji holding Rukia, and both of them angrily swearing at the boy, but he cut them off with another command: "Take her and go, Renji. I'm entrusting Rukia to you. I have my own things to take care of to make sure this stupidity doesn't repeat itself. Guarding Rukia now is your job. Protect your friend with your life."

Renji didn't need any more encouragement. He turned and fled, carrying Rukia in his arms, despite her protests.

Soi Fon commanded the lieutenants to pursue Renji, but as Isane, her own Omaeda, and Chôjirô Sasakibe, the lieutenant of 1st Company, began their pursuit, Kalan appeared before them. With his bare hands, he sent the three flying, each incapacitated by a single hit.

Then a new pursuer charged in at him, and he turned and formed a blade to block the strike of the new assailant. "I told you, I see you…Kuchiki Byakuya."

8-8-8

As Kalan began his duel with Byakuya, Shunsui grabbed Jûshirô and began to flee, and the Captain-General Yamamoto pursued them. Soi Fon was then terrorizing Jûshirô's two subordinates for their work in helping destroy the Sôkyoku and disrupting the execution, but then Yoruichi appeared, grabbed her, and hauled her away to their own private battle.

8-8-8

"Why?" Byakuya demanded suddenly. "Why do you insist on saving Rukia?"

"That's my question," Kalan replied. "You're her brother, aren't you? Why don't you try to save her?"

"A foolish question. Even if I answered it…you wouldn't understand. There's nothing more to discuss. Are you ready?"

He repelled Kalan. "Only one path lies open to me. Kalan Lockeheart, prepare to die. And then Rukia, too, shall die by my hand."

"Not going to happen," Kalan replied. "That's why I'm here."

And finally Kalan and Byakuya began to fight in earnest, no distractions, no others interfering, their fates fixed upon their own success or failure. Byakuya analyzed Kalan carefully. "I see…those techniques…you are a Quincy, then…?"

"Just shut up," Kalan interrupted. As the man stared at him through narrowed eyes, he continued, "I thought you just said there was nothing more to discuss. And you said you were going to kill me, then kill Rukia. And here you are, coolly analyzing me as if I were no threat…but you haven't even scratched me yet. I don't have any time to play around with you…I have bigger fish to fry. You're a captain, so you've got your _Bankai_ , don't you? Try and kill me with that…if you can."

Byakuya stared back at the boy. "You make me sick," Kalan pressed. "You're going to execute Rukia yourself? Your own sister? I'm going to crush you and all your power. I don't care about your sense of duty or honor or whatever bullcrap would press you to do that. And then I'm going to crush the man who's responsible for this whole twisted scenario. So let's get this over with."

"Talk is cheap, boy. Nothing you say will alter either of your fates. _Bankai_? Don't be absurd…you're a thousand years too young for me to waste my _Bankai_ on you…."

As he raised his arm into its salute pose to release his sword, a dart of energy flashed from Kalan, slicing across Byakuya's arm, lightly wounding it and interrupting the release. "Don't play with me. Just show me your _Bankai_ already. I need to beat you and move on, so if you can beat me, you better do it…I don't have time to play at every little level you want to get involved in."

Byakuya stared again. "My _Bankai_ …you audaciously ask for even that. Very well, then." He turned his blade over and held it up before him, the point towards the ground. "Feast your eyes upon my _Bankai_." He released his sword…which fell into the ground, disappearing with ripples in reality as if it were falling serenely into a pool. "Don't worry. You won't regret it. You will be dust before you can regret anything."

And then, behind Byakuya, a thousand giant blades as large as towers emerged from the ground. " _Bankai_. Senbonzakura Kageyoshi [Vibrant Display of the Thousand Cherry Blossoms]."

The blades became a storm of shimmering pink petal-like blades that gathered into a single huge cloud and descended on Kalan. They exploded over the top of him, obscuring him under it.

"Senbonzakura is an attack by millions of blades coming from all directions," Byakuya intoned as the destruction fell upon him. "You may be powerful, but you will never evade my attack like that…."

"No, and I don't need to," Kalan said simply as the cloud and dust passed by to reveal him, largely unharmed. "I told you…I'll face and crush your biggest power head on, and put an end to this."

Suddenly he was in front of Byakuya, swinging his shimmering _reishi_ blade. Byakuya fell back, bleeding from the cut. As Kalan moved in pursuit, the man suddenly swept his hand out, and the cloud of pink blades cut into the path and swept over Kalan again. _('It moves twice as fast if I use my hand to direct it!')_ Byakuya noted.

Kalan fell away, lightly cut by the attack, then danced around to the side. Byakuya continued to motion his cloud in pursuit of Kalan, spiraling and separating it so that it could direct and entrap him at all sides. He used a _shunpo_ -like step maneuver to make his way through it, but before too long we was surrounded by the cloud and it came screaming in at him. With an explosion of power, however, he repelled the entire cloud. As Byakuya stared in shock, Kalan suddenly appeared behind him. "Sorry," he said simply. "I've seen it, and while it's nice, it's not at my level anymore. Time to end this."

He made his finishing thrust…but Byakuya whirled and caught the blade, moving it to his side. "I see," he murmured. "Your power is indeed immense, your techniques, speed, and skill all flawless. Very well. Then I'll simply crush that power and you along with it!"

He repelled Kalan and gathered the petals around him again. "Behold, Kalan Lockeheart: the true form of Senbonzakura, when it has abandoned all defense and has dedicated itself entirely to killing the enemy. Senkei [Annihilationscape]: Senbonzakura Kageyoshi."

Suddenly Byakuya and Kalan were entirely encased in a black world, its only features the rocky ground under their feet…and the million pink swords floating in the air all around them, caging them in a cell of blades. "Do not be afraid," Byakuya intoned. "This funeral column of a thousand blades shall not all strike at once." One sword fell from the blackness and Byakuya took it up in his hand, where it formed a more solid and normal-looking shape, a copy of his normal sword. "Senkei is shown only to those I have sworn to kill with my own hand. You're only the second person ever to see it."

"I'm honored," Kalan murmured with a small smile. "Let's get on with it."

They exploded at each other. Kalan felt the full force of Byakuya's carefully-concealed rage in every swing. The power behind his sword was explosive and intense. He understood the threat of this ability: rather than a mass of flexible objects that could move to shield their master as well as swarming over and overwhelming foes, the power of a thousand swords was focused into a single striking weapon, and then wielded by a man who had many years, decades, of experience and training in sword arts. Kenpachi had been raw, unfocused, all-engulfing power…and yet this was power that was directed, carefully-refined, and lethally-aimed.

 _('And yet it's not enough,')_ Kalan thought. _('I can see why these captains are so feared…they are as powerful as anyone I've ever faced. But I've trained hard to get past this and move on: I have more important things to worry about.')_

Byakuya began to back up his sword strikes with unique abilities: swiftly-incanted _kidô_ spells, and even by dropping more blades from the black ceiling to try and spear Kalan's foot or hand (although from the front, and not behind, thus showing some measure of 'honor' in the attack). Kalan blocked the spells and shattered the swords with his own not-quite-real blade. Then, after using an unarmed strike to stun Byakuya, he slashed him across the chest in his signature way.

Byakuya staggered backwards and stared at the boy, considering. The black world shattered and the pink cloud again began to gather behind the man. Kalan had not escaped unharmed: cuts and blood were marked upon the tiny body, but he was unmoved, unswayed by them. _('I see…this boy…he still has not come near his limit. In this situation, I….')_

"Looks like it's about time," Kalan remarked. "Do you have anything left, or shall we move on?"

Byakuya finally stopped his stare to close his eyes. "Very well. I have one technique remaining, enough _reiatsu_ for one last attack."

"Fine. But I'll ask one more time: why didn't you try to save Rukia?"

Byakuya again stared silently before replying. "If you defeat me…I'll tell you."

The pink clouds gathered in on Byakuya again. "Senbonzakura Kageyoshi: Shûkei [Endscape]: Hakuteiken [White Emperor Sword]." The cloud became a shining blade in Byakuya's hand, with a massive mantle-like mass of wings flowing out from it behind him and even a ring uniting the two wings in the back.

Kalan stared at this vision. "Nice. It's certainly pretty…I don't have any 'final attack'-like power for this yet, so I'll just meet you head-on…with all the power I've got."

Energy exploded around him, and the two came together. There was an explosion of colliding forces, and then they settled past each other. Kalan gasped from the resulting wound he suffered…but Byakuya's power burst apart and scattered into the atmosphere, and he fountained blood from his other (previously uninjured) shoulder.

Kalan turned back to stare at the man, who continued facing away. "You wanted to know why I didn't try to save Rukia," Byakuya mentioned. "Lawbreakers must face justice. They must be punished according to their crimes. That is the law."

"You were going to kill her to 'uphold the law'?" Kalan spat. "Your own sister?"

"Sympathy for one's kin is unworthy."

"…What did you say?"

"Familial devotion is nothing next to the law. I must not succumb to sentimentality. The Kuchiki are one of the four great noble houses. We have to set an example for all _hinigami_." He finally turned his head to look at Kalan over his shoulder. "If we do not uphold the law under all circumstances, then who will?"

"Tch," Kalan spat again. "How ridiculous. Devotion to the law is pointless. The law exists to protect people, particularly ourselves, our friends, and our family. People who break the law, who do wrong, must be punished…but if the law and those behind it don't have reason on their sides, is it really justice? If the law cannot protect those who are important to us who have done no wrong, then what good is it? I don't have any siblings of my own, but if the law were to threaten any of my family, my own child, a sibling…or if it would seek to take away the life of a friend, then I would fight the law."

Byakuya stared in shock. _('I see. No wonder he was simply looking past me. I was never his enemy to begin with. This entire time, he has been fighting the laws of the Soul Society. He's similar to the one whose ferocity I found distasteful_ …. _')_ And the image on his mind was the same that had occupied his sister, Rukia's….

"Kalan Lockeheart…your ferocity has broken my sword. I will pursue Rukia no more. The battle is yours." And after walking a few steps, he disappeared, carried away by _shunpo_.

Kalan stared after him. He turned as Eishun, Aiden and Gato all materialized behind him. "So…it's over?" Aiden offered. "He seemed a pretty badass dude…and yet this time you don't look too badly off."

"More than I should have been," Kalan said. "It's not over yet. Our side is doing well, but the big fish should be coming out to play soon…if we don't get him…then all of this will have been for nothing…."

8-8-8

Below the hill, inside the secret lair of Yoruichi, the door to the little 'cell' was blasted open and Momo emerged from within, her sword at her side, massaging her wrists. "They underestimated me," she murmured. "Well, they'll regret that…it's time to finish this!"

And she headed out after her target….

8-8-8

Tôshirô Hitsugaya and Rangiku Matsumoto found the gates to the office of the Forty-Six barred against all approach. When nothing greeted their intrusion—no alarms sounded, no soldiers came to investigate, no servants asked his business, there was no reaction even when Tôshirô cut his way through the barred gates—the captain knew that something was terribly wrong.

Past 13 barred and locked doors they marched into the chamber of the council…where he found 46 corpses lying in their seats, covered in their own blood.

 _('The Council of 46…six judges and forty sages gathered from all over the Soul Society. The highest court in the land. Those who judge all the wrongdoings of_ hinigami _in the Soul Society or the living worlds. Once their decision has been reached, not even a captain can appeal it. That is the Council of 46. And yet now…their chambers have become a slaughterhouse.')_

Tôshirô stepped forward and inspected the crime scene. _('The blood is brown and flaking. They weren't killed today, nor yesterday. Then when? When did this happen? After Abarai was defeated and the Special Wartime Orders were proclaimed, the underground chamber should have been completely sealed. And today, when we forced ourselves in, all 13 protective walls were closed with no signs of forced entry. Which means…all the orders we've received since this crisis began…are false!_

 _('Who could have done this? Obviously Kalan Lockeheart and his allies were not anywhere near the Seireitei when this was carried out. Was it Ichimaru? But could he have done it alone? Or….')_

"I knew you'd come…Hitsugaya- _taichô_."

There were two doorways in the chamber, the one the two had entered, and one on the opposite side. They whirled to see Izuru Kira filling the way they had entered.

"Should you really be here, Hitsugaya- _taichô_?" demanded a new voice, and Gin Ichimaru filled the exit behind them. "Did you think you'd find Hinamori- _kun_ hiding down here?"

"Kira! Ichimaru!"

In a moment, both were gone. "Matsumoto, can you pursue Kira?" Tôshirô demanded. "We may need his testimony about this. I'll go after Ichimaru…."

"Of course, sir," Rangiku replied after only a moment's hesitation.

Rangiku headed out after Izuru, and Tôshirô moved in pursuit of Gin, down into the 'Seijôtô Kyorin', the immaculate tower grove, where the 46 were supposed to reside. As Gin fled across the chamber to the entrance, he stopped suddenly and slowly turned around as Tôshirô approached. The younger captain slowed himself as he continued advancing, waiting to see what trick Gin would try on him. "So aggressive, Hitsugaya- _taichô_ …if you let your mind be bothered by all this all the time, you'll miss the great sights there are to see…."

"What are you talking about?" Tôshirô growled.

"Just look behind you."

Carefully, swiftly, just for a moment, Tôshirô glanced behind him…and froze at the sight. There, approaching from the darkness, was a form he thought he wouldn't see again. "Ai…Aizen!?" he demanded in shock.

Aizen gave his usual friendly and reassuring smile. "Hey there, Hitsugaya- _kun_."

"Aizen! But how? It…it's really you!?"

"Of course. In the flesh, as you can see. But never mind…I'm surprised you're here. I thought you'd be tearing the Seireitei apart looking for Hinamori- _kun_."

This comment snapped anger back into Tôshirô, letting him escape the daze of his disbelief and reminding him of his position. He flashed to the side and turned so he could observe both of the captains. "W-what are you doing here!? Why…are you alive!? Did you kill the Council of 46!? Fake all those orders!? Your own death!? How…and why!?"

"So many questions, Hitsugaya- _kun_. The answers should mostly be before you. Of course I've needed them all dead so I could prepare my own plans…of course, Kalan Lockeheart made an interesting fall man for my work, although he has not been quite as cooperative as I hoped. Still, his actions were helpful in disguising my schemes and distracting the attention of the entire Seireitei. We've been able to work unimpeded because of that."

"How long? How long have you two been conspiring together?"

"How long? From the beginning."

"Since before you faked your death?"

"You're slow on the uptake. Since the time I became a captain, I've acknowledged no one as my lieutenant but Gin." He chuckled. "Well, perhaps that was a bit unkind…Kosuke has been serviceable and dedicated, if somewhat more withdrawn, but his work has been exemplary. He should be hard at work for me even now…."

8-8-8

Renji pelted through the streets, holding Rukia and arguing with her. Suddenly a figure barred their way. Renji stopped short and stared. "Ichigami- _fukutaichô_ …what are you doing here?"

"What do you think?" the other man replied, adjusting his glasses. "I'm here to retrieve the prisoner. We can't have you running off with her…not with what she's got inside of her."

"What are you talking about!? I'm not going to let her be executed, so stand aside!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that…."

8-8-8

Yachiru ran happily through the streets, pursued by Jynx, Saber, and Aeli. "I wonder if Kenpachi- _san_ will be all right," Aeli remarked.

"Somehow, I think he'll be fine," Saber murmured. "From what I understand, he was the one who fought Kalan- _dono_ to a draw…."

"He's scary…I wouldn't want to fight him," Jynx commented.

Suddenly Yachiru stopped and glanced over to the side. "Hey…that's Akapin!" she announced. "Seems like something's happening!" And she started off that direction.

"W-what? H-hey! Who's Akapin? Wait up, Yachiru- _chan_ …!"

8-8-8

Kosuke drew his sword. " _Bankai_. Tenkai Kagamimaru (Assembled Heaven Mirror)." The man suddenly vanished, and Renji and Rukia found themselves surrounded by a great dome of mirrors.

The pair looked around wildly at their mass of reflections…and then the multitude of Kosukes within the mirrors that flickered across multiple surfaces. "Welcome to my mirror-world, Abarai- _kun_. I'll give you one more chance…if you hand Rukia over and withdraw, I won't have to hurt you. But if you won't release her…I'll be forced to kill you. Aizen- _sama_ needs what she carries."

"Ai-Aizen? What are you talking about!? Aizen is…."

"Aizen is playing with the whole Soul Society, has them all dancing in the palm of his hand…even those little _ryoka_ who are trying to help you rescue Rukia. He will succeed. He doesn't even need me. All I am…is a tool to make things easier for him. And I will do this. So, Abarai- _kun_ …if you won't yield, prepare to die…!"

He emerged from a mirror behind Renji in a flash, slashed him across his back, and disappeared into another mirror with astonishing speed. Renji gasped in pain and held Rukia tighter. "Forget it! You won't get her, even if you kill me…!"

"Then I suppose I'll have to grant your wish…."

Two simultaneous blasts, one of light and one of flame, flashed into the mirror prison. When the smoke cleared, Saber and Jynx were standing there, with Aeli smiling behind them. "Well, this is certainly interesting," Jynx remarked brightly. "Mind if we cut in?"

"Abarai- _san_ …you should leave with her, quickly," Saber demanded. "Your escape is closing…."

Indeed, the mirrors that had been destroyed to allow the trio of youths access were beginning to reform, blocking the hole. Renji stared just a moment before dashing for it. "Thanks…and sorry," he muttered.

"Don't worry about it," Aeli told them as they vanished. "These two will be fine like this."

Multiple Kosukes stared down at the trio. "You're going to interfere? You're only delaying the inevitable…and hastening your own deaths. I won't hold back, even for children…."

"Save it," Jynx remarked, summoning forth and unfurling his scroll. "We won't hold back, either. If you're working directly with Aizen, then we'll cut you down. That's why we're here."

He called forth a hero, and from the smoke emerged a young man, quite taller than the youths, with short but wild orange hair and brown eyes. He was dressed as a _hinigami_ , but had black bands across his neck and visible chest and his visible arms. A massive, bandage-wrapped sword was slung across his back, attached by a red linked sash of some sort. "Kurosaki Ichigo," he introduced himself. "What an interesting situation…it's so nostalgic, while at the same time being so different." He reached over his shoulder and pulled his blade up, the bandages falling away and uncovering it as he swept it around. "This being three…." He glanced at his companions suddenly before deciding that he had spoken correctly. "Yeah, this being three-on-one, it's not going to be real exciting, but since I've been called, I'll do what I can."

Kosuke stared down at his foes. "And what are you, _hinigami_? Well, no matter…if I have to kill all of you…so be it!"

8-8-8

"So…this entire time…me, Hinamori, the other captains and your entire company…the whole Soul Society…you were deceiving us the entire time!?" Tôshirô demanded in rising anger.

"I wouldn't say I was deceiving you," Aizen replied. "It's just that none of you understood my true nature. People like Hinamori- _kun_ …you all saw what you wanted to see: the ideal of a _hinigami_ captain."

"What on earth were you intending with her!? That letter…faking your death…do you have any idea what you did to her!?"

"Of course I did. Ah, but it didn't work out quite like I hoped. You see, I knew what I had made her from the beginning. And I knew that, now that my plans had finally come to fruition, I didn't need her anymore, and she couldn't live without me…I had made her that way, after all. But I really didn't like the idea of putting her down myself, so I tried to get others to do it for me. First Kira, but you stopped that. I considered pegging you for her death and letting you do it, but the thought of using the _ryoka_ to take care of things and cause more distractions for me was too appealing. But Kalan proved too intuitive and less lethal than I had first thought…he merely kidnapped her, rather than killing her. No matter. I'll just finish the job myself later, or have Kosuke do it for me."

"How…how can you be so cruel!?" Tôshirô demanded. "Hinamori joined the Gotei 13 because of you! She worked so hard just so that she could serve at your side!"

"Yes, that's true," Aizen agreed. "That's why I requested her for my company. It was too good to pass up. Remember, Hitsugaya- _kun_ …worship is the furthest state from understanding."

Tôshirô drew his sword and released his power. The opposing captains leapt back from the blast. " _Bankai_. Daiguren Hyôrinmaru [Frozen Moon's Red Lotus Ice Ring]." When the icy mist cleared, Hitsugaya stood there, cloaked by a mantle and great wings of ice, with three flower-like sigils, with four petals each, floating in the air behind him. "Aizen," he said, "I'm going to kill you."

"You shouldn't make rash threats," Aizen scolded back, smiling mockingly. "They make you seem weak."

Tôshirô dashed forward, lancing Aizen, freezing him…but then suddenly Aizen cut him down from behind with a single stroke. Tôshirô collapsed, comatose, the ice breaking away and making a snow-like haze in the atmosphere of the room.

"A magnificent sight," Aizen stated. "It's just the right time of year for it, too. I do like the snow…. Well, shall we go, Gin?"

But then two new figures entered the chamber…Retsu Unohana, captain of 4th Company, and her lieutenant, Isane Kotetsu, whom she had recovered and revived following her immediate defeat at Kalan's hands. "I thought I'd find you here, Aizen- _taichô_ ," she remarked. "No, I shouldn't call you captain anymore. You're merely the traitor, Aizen Sôsuke."

" _Domo_ , Unohana- _taichô_ ," Aizen greeted her back. "It's about time you showed up. Did it take you this long to figure out where I was?"

"The Seijôtô Kyorin is the only area in the Seireitei that is absolutely off-limits," she replied. "And the perfect place for someone who had gone to such pains to fake his death—even constructing that elaborate doll—in order to conceal himself."

"Almost. You deduce well, but you made two mistakes. First, I didn't come here to hide…and second…." He suddenly held a limp body that was his exact double in his hand. "…This isn't a doll."

Retsu stared in shock. "W-when did he…!?" Isane gasped.

"When?" Aizen replied. "I had it in my hand this entire time. I simply didn't allow you see it until now. Well, I'll allow you understand. Watch closely. Shatter, Kyôka Suigetsu [Mirror Flower Water Moon]." The body dispersed, and Aizen held his sword in his hand, point down. He released the blade and let it fall and pierce the ground before the astonished eyes of the ladies. "My sword Kyôka Suigetsu's ability is Kanzen Saimin—Complete Hypnosis."

"No!" Isane insisted. "That sword is a flowing-water type _zanpaku-tô_. That's what you told us. You gathered all the vice-captains together and showed us your sword's powers!"

"So," Retsu cut in, "that was the hypnosis ceremony, then…."

"Correct. Kanzen Saimin is the ability to disrupt all senses: appearance, shape, size, texture, and even smell can be affected. It can make a fly into a dragon, or a swamp appear a flowerbed. The spell is activated when the victim sees the released sword. Having seen it once, from that moment on they are under its hypnotic power, and each subsequent time I release the sword, that control returns."

Retsu's eyes widened further in realization. "Having seen it once…!"

"So you understand? That's right, its only weakness is that it is of no use on the blind. Yes…from the very beginning, Tôsen Kaname has been my loyal subordinate…."

8-8-8

Renji was once again brought up short by the man in his path. This time it was the captain of 9th Company, Kaname Tôsen himself. He was shorn of his _haori_ , it having been devastated in his recent battle against Kenpachi Zaraki, but the blind man otherwise looked as if he had recovered quite well from the injuries he'd received. "T-Tôsen- _taichô_ …" Renji murmured. "What are you doing here?"

Wordlessly Kaname threw out a cloth that he held in his hand, which began to swiftly encircle all three of them, spiraling around and going up into the air….

8-8-8

Gin let a similar white cloth flow from his sleeve and it began to whip around the two traitorous captains. "A word of praise before I go," Aizen stated. "You examined my body far more thoroughly than any of the others. That you felt even a bit of suspicion while under the hypnotic spell is most remarkable, Unohana- _taichô_. Goodbye…I doubt I'll ever see any of you again."

"Wait!" Isane insisted, reaching for her sword hilt, but it was too late…a moment later, they were gone.

8-8-8

Kalan turned and watched as the black-robed figure alighted down behind him, then turned to him, her hand on her sword's hilt. "Hinamori Momo," he murmured. He glanced back to his companions. "I thought she was supposed to be locked up?"

The three shared glances and shrugged, and Kalan turned back to the girl as she said, "Well, Kalan Lockeheart…I've found you again. I didn't think you'd be lounging around here…."

"Oh, please, would you give it a rest?" Kalan demanded with a sigh. "This isn't the time or place for your misguided revenge. Things are about to get…."

Suddenly two spiraling sheets of cloth appeared nearby. All five pairs of eyes glanced that direction in shock. Then the five new figures appeared in their twin rings of spiraling cloth. Renji gasped and looked around in alarm. "We're on…Sôkyoku Hill!?"

Momo glanced briefly at Renji and Rukia in confusion…and then her eyes drifted over the bespectacled man appearing from the other transportation ring. Her hands began to fall limp by her side. "Ai…Aizen…Aizen- _taichô_ …?"

Aizen glanced around at the group already assembled. "My, my, what a gathering." Then he focused on the girl as she began to slowly approach. "Hello, Hinamori- _kun_. How have you been?"

"Wait, stay away from him!" Kalan called.

"Is…is it really you, Aizen- _taichô_?" Momo said, not heeding the boy at all. "You're really alive…?"

"Alive and well, as you can see," Aizen replied. "I'm sorry for deceiving you. You must have been heartbroken. I didn't think I'd hurt you so badly…but I had to fake my death and…."

"No, it's all right," Momo insisted, still approaching him. "Just knowing you're alive…it's enough….."

"…I see…thank you, Hinamori- _kun_ …and goodbye…."

There were two flashes…the first was Aizen pulling his sword to impale Momo as she came within his range, and the second was Kalan sweeping Momo out of the way. He hit the ground and rolled, then came to one foot and a knee and clutching Momo. His arm had been slashed in his rescue and was bleeding slightly. He stared across at Aizen, and Momo sat stunned in his arms. "W-what…? Ai-Aizen- _taichô_ …?"

"You truly surprise me, Kalan Lockeheart," Aizen stated as he slowly turned to face the boy. "I had heard that you were delightfully pragmatic, but you not only spared Hinamori- _kun_ 's life when it was served up to you on a silver platter, now you have proven willing to sacrifice yourself to save a girl who has wanted nothing but to kill you."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Kalan spat back. "I don't kill anyone, or let anyone die, who doesn't deserve it. Aiden!"

Momo shrieked as Kalan tossed her towards the older man. "Keep a hold on her and make sure she doesn't get in the way anymore. I need to take care of him."

As the three traitorous captains stared at the boy, Kaname was suddenly forced to dodge back as Eishun and Gato came at him from behind. They lighted down and took up positions in front of Renji and Rukia.

Kalan nodded towards them. "You've had some fun with this whole plot, Aizen, but it ends here. If you want to finish it, you'll have to get past the Red Wings."

Gin began to reach for his sword, but Aizen waved to stop him. "It's all right. We've come so far." Aizen began to step forward towards him. "They are merely a few more bugs to squash…."

8-8-8

 _["Ichigami Kosuke reporting for duty."_

 _Aizen turned and glanced up at the bespectacled young man standing at attention by his desk. "Ah…our newest member. Welcome to 5_ _th_ _Company, Ichigami-_ kun _."_

 _"Yes, sir. It's an honor to be under your service, Aizen Sôsuke-_ taichô _. I hope that we can accomplish many great things together."_

 _"Yes, of course." He turned back to his papers again, then glanced back at the man, who was still standing there. "…Is there something else?"_

 _"To be quite frank, sir, there was a special reason I specifically requested to be assigned to 5_ _th_ _Company. I hoped to serve under you. I have been studying you for a long time. Among other things, I know that you are responsible for the loss of those several captains thirty years ago, including your own."_

 _Aizen narrowed his eyes at his new subordinate. "What are you saying, Ichigami-_ kun _?"_

 _"I have no intention of telling anyone, I assure you. I do not consider this a foible. Rather, that is one of the traits that makes me admire you. I personally have no use for such frivolous sentiments as 'honor', 'justice', and 'morals', human-created concepts that can impede the progress of civilization. The living world is moving too-swiftly towards a disastrous time, and the Soul Society will surely follow if nothing is done. What form the Soul Society takes does not matter, as long as it survives. I seek to support the strength of the one who can do that. The reasons for it, the methods used…nothing else matters. As long as I survive with it, as long as I can support the one who will make it so, I care nothing for anything else. Consider me your tool, Aizen-_ taichô _, to accomplish everything you desire."_

 _Aizen smiled slightly. "Is that so…? Well then, Ichigami Kosuke-_ kun _…I'll be relying on you in the future…."]_

Kosuke lay on the ground in a pool of his own blood. The mirrors were gone and his sword lay broken in half by his side. "N-no…this can't be…this wasn't supposed to happen to me…I should have been chosen…."

Ichigo Kurosaki disappeared, returning to Jynx' scroll. Saber sighed with relief. "That's over with. Now, what do you think Kalan- _dono_ and the others are up to?"

Yachiru and Aeli rejoined the pair as they considered their next course. "Something happened to Akapin," Yachiru remarked. "He's gone now…."

Suddenly there was a ripple in the air, and they all perked their heads up as the voice began to come….

8-8-8

Isane chanted and finished the spell. "I've got them! They're on…Sôkyoku Hill!"

Retsu considered this. "All right. Locate all captains and assistant captains and tell them everything we've learned about Aizen, as well as his location. And pass along all that same information to the _ryoka_ as well, in case any aren't already there."

Isane hesitated only a moment before declaring, "Yes, sir!" She painted her arms and began to chant out the second spell before activating _Bakudô_ 77—Tenteikûra, 'Heavenly-Caged Sky Net', the wide-range communication spell. "Acquisition successful!"

 _'All captains, assistant captains, and proxy assistant captains of the Gotei 13…and…all_ ryoka _. This is Kotetsu Isane, vice-captain of the 4_ _th_ _Company. Hear my words. This is an urgent message from Unohana-_ taichô _and myself. Listen carefully. What I'm about to tell you is the absolute truth…!'_

8-8-8

Momo stared in disbelief. "Hitsugaya- _kun_ …Shirô- _chan_ …Aizen- _taichô_ , w-what is this…?"

"That kid, huh?" Kalan murmured. "I'd heard about you before, and still…I don't like using such language, but you're a regular bastard, aren't you? Whatever you've heard, I really don't like killing, but I'm going to enjoy gutting you. For Rukia…Renji…Momo…that Tôshirô kid…heck, even for Byakuya…and all the rest of the people you've hurt and misled, I'm going to grind you into dust."

"Hmm…is that so? That disruption of _reiatsu_ in the atmosphere I just felt…that was Tenteikûra, then. It must have been Isane. Which means the other captains will be coming soon. To avoid complications, it's best if I finish this quickly before they arrive. Which means that if I must crush you first, so be it."

In a flash he was past Kalan, but Kalan blocked the strike with the shimmering spirit sword he now wielded. The two exchanged a few more blows before Kalan forced Aizen back, then, pressing in, materialized a second sword in his off-hand and swung it, slashing Aizen across the arm. Aizen retreated, and Kalan stepped above him to come down from the air, his swords crossed in a prepared swing.

Aizen blocked calmly with his sword raised above his head, then casually stated, " _Hadô_ 90: Kurohitsugi [Black Coffin]." The black void began to envelop Kalan, trapping him a box of chaotic gravity energy, but Kalan burst through the blackness and hit the ground before charging in again. This time, however, Aizen stepped behind him and followed up his swing (which Kalan blocked) by reaching out with his off-hand and firing a blast of pure force. The attack put Kalan off-balance, and Aizen moved in with a swing right to his small torso. Kalan managed to twist out of the way, coming away from the exchange with a slight cut on his side…and he immediately charged in again.

"You're doing quite well," Aizen commented as they fell to more careful swordplay. "I would never expect a human boy your age to approach my level of swordsmanship. But you should know…you face the pinnacle of _shinigami_ evolution. I have already pushed all the abilities of this form to their utter limit. All the captains you've faced up until now…do not compare to me."

It was true, Kalan realized…the man was still holding back his _reiatsu_ , but he was easily stronger than Byakuya and at least at the level Kenpachi had been with his eye-patch on. And with the skill of his sword and the tactics of his feints and _kidô_ , he easily surpassed either of them. Even with just one sword, Aizen was fending Kalan off fairly well.

Kalan, however, was not in the mood for the exchanges. "Just shut up," he admonished the man. "Talking in a fight against me will kill you. You can talk after I'm dead…if you win."

He then sprang backwards and, letting the sword in his off-hand vanish, materialized a bow-like object in that hand. It began to spray a mass of spiritual arrows towards Aizen.

" _Bakudô_ 81: Dankû." The Soul Reaper all-purpose anti-spell wall appeared to block all of Kalan's shots, and showed no sign of breaking even as Kalan continued the downpour. Then Kalan suddenly released the weapon and snapped his fingers. The ground behind Aizen began to the crumble, the air suddenly began to churn, and then they all burst in a massive explosion that disrupted Aizen. He whirled around to the stare at the destruction in shock while all the onlookers hit the deck from the force of it. "W-what was…!?"

Suddenly Kalan stepped up to the shield and reached out, placing a hand on it. Then he closed his fist upon its surface and pulled back, and it sucked into his hand like a sheet, the _reishi_ of the spell becoming another blade in his hand. Aizen turned to stare in shock anew at this development, and Kalan made a great slash with his main sword, cutting Aizen down across the chest.

Aizen retreated and clutched at the wound, panting heavily, staring in shock. "W-what? H-how…? What was that…?"

"You're powerful, Aizen, to be sure, although it doesn't matter," Kalan said simply. "You're striving for godhood, but if you're looking for it in the world of hollows, you're looking into the wrong place. It doesn't matter who or what you are, because I am a Quincy. I never knew anything about them until a week and a half ago, but now I've trained to master their power…the power that is the absolute bane of this world of spirits.

"As a mage, I mastered the arts of magic and even the arts of _ki_ and martial arts combat. But while my friends had their magical powers transformed into spiritual powers when we arrived here, mine were not—because I already had spiritual powers in my body, even if I'd never called upon them before. This is the power of the Quincy—to gather the spirit particles, the _reishi_ in the atmosphere, and make them into the weapons that they use to battle. It's a power I had never used before…and yet from my first arrival, I not only had no access to my magical powers, I could not even use this spiritual power that was my natural birthright. Why on earth should that be? It couldn't be simply because I was unused to it…I'm a natural genius, and everything's come easily to me. I had enough _reiatsu_ …I had enough natural power that I was able to overcome Ikkaku, Renji, and even Kenpachi through nothing but my pure, brute force. But I was still unable to call upon these Quincy powers, and had to train like mad for almost two days to master their use, once I understood what the problem was.

"And in this case, it was too much power, too much genius. In the mortal worlds, there is only so much _reishi_ , and if I had commenced immediately to train myself while on that side, I would have learned without too much trouble and just had to adjust. But this world is nothing but _reishi_ —everything, from the air to the rocks to the trees to the people, is composed of it. My Quincy power allows me to literally break apart the bonds of _reishi_ and take, potentially, this entire world into myself. And that's what I was training—not to get enough power to defeat Byakuya or even you…but to gain the ability to control my power so that I could gather this energy without tearing this world apart.

"And I've succeeded…I came because I finally gained total control of this power. So now this entire world is my power bank. You can't possibly stop me, Aizen…any more than you can stop the sun."

Aizen stared back. "That's impossible. No human could handle that kind of power. Using that kind of ability would cause you to dangerously exceed your limits…."

"Maybe so. Shall we try?"

He dashed in again, only holding one sword this time. Aizen met him and began to counterattack. His attacks were not nearly so calm and measured. They were still brilliant, but so much more fierce, desperate, and it was clear Aizen was trying to gain a brief tactical advantage over Kalan….

 _('He's trying to hold me in place so that he can force me to watch his sword release,')_ Kalan thought. _('But it's no problem. He can't stop me now. We're just delaying the inevitable….')_

Aizen began to attempt to use more spells, _hadô_ and _bakudô_ , but Kalan actually canceled the spells every time, using his off-hand to grab the _reishi_ Aizen was attempting to use to form the spells and drawing them into himself.

 _('H-how can this be!? How can I be defeated in the hour of my triumph…by a mere human!? What the hell_ is _this boy!?')_

Aizen withdrew after another savage exchange which resulted in another wound for him and stood back, panting, holding a stern guard. Kalan hesitated, watching him warily.

"All of this…simply to save the life of one insignificant _shinigami_ girl!?" Aizen spat. "With all that power, you cling to some absurd sense of gallantry and honor!? Well…let's see where that gets you!"

He fired a massive spell at Kalan, and then nearly simultaneously whirled to fire another spell out, a piercing shot rather than an explosive blast. Kalan was quite distracted dealing with the spell aimed at him, and didn't perceive the second until it had nearly arrived at its target, too far for him to affect….

Renji bent down and clutched Rukia to him protectively as the white lightning came for her…but then another figure suddenly shoved both of them aside roughly, taking the shot through his own chest just under his heart.

Rukia stared up at the man. " _N-Nii-sama_!" she whispered in disbelief.

Byakuya stood for a moment, staring across at Aizen, still a bloodied mess from his fight with Kalan even before this. Then he collapsed forward, and both Renji and Rukia cried his name.

Aizen stared at the scene, his lip curling up in disgust, but Kalan was suddenly standing behind him. "Big mistake," he declared venomously. As Aizen turned back to him, he ran the man through, straight through the heart.

Aizen gasped, hacked out blood, and collapsed onto Kalan. Kalan held his blade and Aizen there, unmoving. Aizen struggled. "H-how…? Y-you've really done it…I am…killed…by this whelp of a human child? It's not…possible…it's not possible…!"

With a roar he suddenly stood up, tearing himself from Kalan's shimmering blade, and with a masterful and unexpected stroke he slashed Kalan right across the chest. Blood fountained from the wound and Aizen made a strong step forward as Kalan staggered back, bringing his sword down one more time. Kalan, seemingly unmoved by his wound, suddenly swept his free hand across and backhanded the blade, snapping it in half. Aizen then continued his forward motion and collapsed at Kalan's feet.

"W-why…?" Aizen gasped. "With all that power…how can you worship that thing…? How can you not strive to ascend to greater heights…? For beings such as us…superior specimens…there is no other course but rule and dominion. To cast it all away…for insects like these…."

"I don't know what you're blathering about," Kalan said simply. "Yeah. I'm a superior being. I'm a 'monster'. I don't know why, but I've always been better than everyone at everything. There's no pride there, but simple truth. But I've always been taught, and I firmly believe, that this power of mine exists to help those who aren't as fortunate. I don't exist to rule anything. I just want to live my life with my power as I see fit."

 _('All this time…')_ Aizen thought as his final consciousness began to fade. _('All this time, all I really wanted…was someone who could stand up to me…and now that it is come…I….')_

And so Sôsuke Aizen, the traitor of Soul Society, died.

The watchers stared at the scene. Gin's face was totally blank, unmoved, frozen like a statue. Momo, still in Aiden's grasp, stared in shock. "Ai…Aizen… _taichô_ …? Is this…?"

"Aizen!" screamed Kaname. He began to charge Kalan, drawing his sword, but a massive shape suddenly impacted the ground right in front of him. He was a huge Soul Reaper, almost nine feet tall with armored gauntlets and shoulder pads…and the very prominent head of fox, wolf or sharp-eared dog of some sort…Sajin Komamura, captain of 7th Company.

Tôsen stared up at Komamura, who swiftly grabbed Kaname's hands and held them in place. "That's enough, Tôsen. I arrived later than I would have liked, but in time for this. You really were with Aizen in this whole matter? Well? What do you have to say for yourself!?"

Kaname stared up at Sajin, his lip curled upward in a snarl, but no reply came. "Why did you become a _shinigami_!?" Komamura roared. "Wasn't it for justice!? Wasn't that what you told me!? Then why did you try to take this traitor's side!?"

"Justice!?" Kaname roared back, finally snapping. "What 'justice' is there in this Soul Society!? Is it 'justice' to work alongside the very organization that allowed my friend to die and did nothing to the man who killed her!? Don't talk as if you understand justice, Komamura…!"

Suddenly a blade appeared at Kaname's throat. "Hisagi," Kaname murmured as his scarred, tattooed lieutenant, Shuhei Hisagi, held the blade.

Rangiku appeared behind Gin, her blade in position to hold him at bay. "That's enough," she hissed. "This is over, Gin."

And the rest began to appear…the various captains who had been fighting amongst themselves over this execution, accompanied by Yoruichi, and their lieutenants and other available subordinates, along with Saber, Jynx, and Aeli, began to arrive on the scene. They stared at the bloodied form of Kalan, standing over the slain form of Aizen. "Well, the cavalry," Kalan muttered. "A bit late, but that's fine." He then turned Aizen over and reached into his robe, finally removing a small cylinder, perhaps two centimeters in diameter and four inches long.

"This should be it…." He turned and walked slowly over to Rukia and Renji, still hovering over the body of Byakuya, and called the girl's name. She started and turned his way, and as she slowly stood and approached, her eyes filled with hope, perhaps thinking Kalan would administer to her brother, he suddenly grabbed her shoulder and the small object disintegrated in his hand. Six claw-like pillars nearly seven feet tall burst from the ground around them in a circle, surrounding them. As Rukia looked around in shock, a hole suddenly opened in her chest, and Kalan thrust his other hand into the hole. Several of those around, including Renji, cried in shock and dismay, but Kalan swiftly withdrew his hand, which had taken on a strange, vein-like membrane appearance, with churning spiritual energy around it. He held in his fingers a black marble encased by some kind of crystal. As he withdrew his hand, the claws faded, the membrane on his hand evaporated away, and the hole in Rukia's chest closed. She collapsed to her knees and gasped, breathing heavily, but as she stared at Kalan in shock, she seemed none the worse for wear.

"W-what…what was that…?" she finally demanded.

"So this tiny thing…is the trouble that spawned all of this…?" he muttered. Then he stepped away until he was once again nearly in the center of the hill and began to speak. "I'm sure you all need an explanation. Or at least most of you. Aizen, in his attempts to increase his power, began to study the arts of combining _shinigami_ with hollows, and, one hundred years ago, Urahara Kisuke, founder of your Research and Development Department, was doing the same, finding that the breaking down of that barrier was one way to strengthen the soul. Kisuke's experiments with it were an unqualified success…except, perhaps, too much of a success. He created an object that had all the power he hoped for and more besides. This: the Hôgyoku. When Aizen made his hollowfication experiments on a collection of your captains around that time, he realized Urahara had been conducting similar experiments, and framed him for the work, causing him to be banished. But at some point he realized Kisuke had perfected this device, this 'Breakdown Sphere', capable of erasing all those boundaries. He desired it.

"Kisuke is not unpragmatic, and when Rukia came under his care, a victim of an attack by a hollow Aizen had created to mutate _shinigami_ , he decided to make use of her to eliminate the Hôgyoku forever. He used his techniques to hide this thing in Rukia's soul, hoping that it would meld with it and disappear forever, but Aizen perceived his plot and made steps to retrieve it all the same. In order to separate it from her soul, he tried to use this execution, destroying her soul with the Sôkyoku as it was the only thing that could vaporize the soul and leave the Hôgyoku behind. With that option possibly open to failure, he took other steps, the same ones I learned about myself through Kisuke and Yoruichi. As Kisuke developed the technology for placing objects in souls, he also alone had the technology to remove them, and Aizen used the time he was 'dead' to search for it as a backup plan. I just used it to remove the Hôgyoku from Rukia's soul."

"That's all very well," commented Shunsui Kyôraku. "But what will you do with it now that you have it?"

"This thing is sealed, by Kisuke…but even so, I can tell that this thing has a dark and somewhat malevolent _reiatsu_. Something like this shouldn't exist. Kisuke thought the same…even though he created it, however, he couldn't destroy it, which is why he tried to 'disappear' it into Rukia's soul. But I should be able to. I'm going to destroy this thing here and now. But…I'd get back if I were all of you. I'm not sure how this will work out…."

He broke the crystal in his hand and grasped the black marble. Immediately dark energy began to flow out of it, warring against the _reiatsu_ he brought to bear on it. He gasped as he struggled with the powers, pouring energy in to fight it while at the same time calling upon his full Quincy powers to breakdown the sphere and separate its terrible _reishi_. The air began to spin and roar chaotically as a colossal storm enveloped him. The onlookers reared back, shielding their faces, straining to retreat and yet see through the impossible haze. Aeli and others of the Red Wings desperately called out Kalan's name.

Then there was a massive simultaneous implosion and explosion, and when the smoke cleared, Kalan was standing there…and everything about him, skin, hair, clothing, was pure white. He was an unmoving statue, one hand raised above his head…and then he collapsed to the ground.

His companions came running to his side…and then a chuckle broke through the cacophony of fear and concern. "Well, well…that boy really is something amazing. This is quite an interesting scene."

All eyes turned over head and saw a small boy standing in the air, his icy-blue hair and pale pink eyes marking him as unique (as if his stance wasn't). A dozen hands and more when to the hilts at their sides, and boy held up his hands in supplication. "Hey, now, I didn't come here to fight…I was just watching the game. It's really time to take my leave…but I won't leave empty handed."

Suddenly a pair of lights shot down from the sky and encased Kaname and Gin. Yoruichi spotted it and called their captors to retreat in time, which they did. Then a tear opened in the sky and a mass of almost comical white faces, absolutely impossibly massive in size, emerged from the hole, screaming, some gripping the tear with long-nailed hands. A single, huge, malevolent eye, larger than even these colossal visages, opened visibly and stared down at them. The ground underneath the pair of traitorous Soul Reapers broke apart and began to float back into the air.

"W-what's this…!?" demanded Shuhei.

"Stop!" the Captain-General suddenly called, freezing the entire force in their tracks. "That light is called Negación. It is the means the Menos Grande of Hueco Mundo use to rescue their own. They are untouchable now."

Jûshirô stepped forward and addressed the boy, who was ascending with them. "You…who are you? You aren't a hollow or any part of Hueco Mundo…."

"Not natively, no," the boy declared. "Although, with Aizen's passing, I suppose that might make me the ruler of Hueco Mundo. You all are probably going to learn too much about us from whatever Aizen left in his notes, and I can't afford to make a play for those right now, too. But I'll leave you my name…usually, I'm called Homura Nagi. Kalan- _kun_ …and the rest of the Red Wings…I'll probably be seeing all of you again soon enough.

"Enjoy your victory, all of you…you will find it oh-so-fleeting."

And then the three vanished into the tear, which snapped shut behind them, leaving no trace that they had ever been.

F I N

 _Author's Note: Farewell to the Soul Society_

 _Gah! Despite cutting so many corners and focusing almost exclusively on Kalan's part, this was a truly massive chapter (and set of chapters). Forget mini-Act, this is going to be an Epic Act, even though I'm planning on even more corner-cutting as I wrap up the history of the Red Wings, probably with three or four more 'Chapters'. Nevertheless, it had to be told: for me, especially, to explain much of what's going to come forward._

 _Most of the details I skipped can be gleaned from the Bleach story itself, either anime or manga. The main fight I skipped would have been Eishun and Aeli versus Mayuri Kurotsuchi, and the fight proceeded similarly to that recorded event, although Eishun had to use his_ Shinmeiryû _techniques, and not Quincy powers, to overcome the mad scientist. Gato then retrieved the younger man and took him to their gathering hideout, and Aeli at the same time. Otherwise, Soi Fon was schooled by Yoruichi, Byakuya took down Renji, Yamamoto fought his two prized pupils, and Kenpachi battled Kaname and Sajin until the events split them apart (and their subordinates battling together as well). Of course, I shouldn't be surprised by the length…the original Bleach manga had this as a massive arc that took over ten volumes (and over 100 chapters, or two years by Shonen Jump's usual one-chapter-per-week format!)._

 _But it's finally over. This will be start of the turning point of the war, as Kalan, after he recovers from pressing the 'God-Mode' button, will find the connections between Aizen and the Obsidian Star, and head out to stop them. So, let's get on with it…._


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit fictional story, a FanFiction based on Ken Akamatsu's Negima. I do not own Negima, or most of the other characters included in this work, excepting where it is stated in the author's notes. It is not intended or presented for any commercial profit or personal gain; it is simply a story written for personal fulfillment and presented for public enjoyment, and as an honest homage to the fine story conceived and written by Ken Akamatsu, as well as all the other (innumerable) works that find place herein (and their authors).

The History of the Red Wings, Part Seven: The Heroes Unleashed

The audience stirred and murmured as the disc finally reached the credits and Aiden and Kisuke prepared the next disc. Many glances went to the Soul Reapers present, particularly Momo. She did her very best to wait stoically, but it was obvious from the redness creeping up her neck that she was particularly ashamed of the scene, and yet Kagome noted admiringly that despite her quiet, she was not shrinking from this unflattering scene or balking at the unpleasant memories. "That's what she's learned recently," she muttered quietly to herself. "To face the past, and not run from it, right?"

Aiden finally got the next disc rolling. "Okay, people! I know that all of you have some particular questions and comments, but try to save them until we finish this thing! Let's move right along to the next part!"

The new announcements began to display for Chapter Four: Glabados and Orimus.

8-8-8

Aeli came bursting into the room. "Kalan! Food! Are you feeling up to it?" She stopped and glanced around the room. "Eh? Why isn't he here? Where'd he go?"

"A-ah," offered Hanatarô from a corner...he had been the one caring to the boy as he recovered from the real extreme of destroying the Hôgyoku. "U-um, Kalan- _san_ went out with Kyôraku- _taichô_ to investigate something. He said he was perfectly well, now, and I wasn't in any position to argue with him…."

"Oh!" Aeli turned and rushed from the room, dropping the plate on the desk.

8-8-8

"We thought that this 'Obsidian Star' was something Aizen invented just for Hinamori- _kun_ 's letter," Shunsui explained as Kalan followed him into the annals underneath the Chamber of 46. "However, Aizen made some interesting notes about this strange term while he studied here. Let's see…it was this one."

He handed a sheaf of papers to Kalan, who began to peruse them. 'The Obsidian Star' was the header of this batch of notes, with dates ranging back about ten years. It mentioned meeting one 'Homura Nagi' in Hueco Mundo, while his hollow forces were in the process of building his palace of Las Noches. He was an ambassador of 'The Obsidian Star'. ' _This magical society seems to be a collection of extra-planetary, or extra-dimensional demonic beings, intent on absorbing Arcanus Myrror and perhaps Earth as well into their collective. They have no connection to spiritual powers and have no designs on the Soul Society or Hueco Mundo…although those worlds will likely be affected by the kind of event the Obsidian Star plans to implement, it should be nothing if I can sit upon the throne of the Soul King and rebuild both worlds with the completed Hôgyoku. They are of no threat to me—indeed, their work may provide me a proper distraction for the eyes of the Seireitei while I finish my work….'_

"Rather ironic," Shunsui commented. "He thought this Obsidian Star might help his cause, but indirectly, because they drove you to come here, to Soul Society, they ended up being his doom."

Kalan nodded lightly, but continued reading. He briefly noted without much surprise that the Glabados Church was fashioned entirely by the Obsidian Star—every piece of it, every member, worked for them. Also, according to Aizen's notes, the Obsidian Star's home base was the place where they had worked secretly for several hundred years….

"The Flying City…the Capital of Orimus." Kalan just resisted crumpling the papers up in his hand. "Aeli's home."

8-8-8

"Hey!" Aeli insisted as Kalan made his appearance before the Red Wings again. "Kalan! Shouldn't you still be resting…!?"

"I'm fully recovered," he responded negligently, cutting the remark off with a wave of his hand. "This _reishi_ stuff does have its uses. More importantly, thanks to our esteemed friend Aizen, we've caught a break—he was quite familiar with our enemies, it appears. We have a name for them—the Obsidian Star. And we have their location—Aizen's notes said their base is located in Orimus."

Gato pushed at his glasses. "The Flying Capital? Inside Kanev itself?"

"Impossible!" Saber burst out. "They've infiltrated that far!? What are they after…?"

"He described them as a 'race of magical parasites' of 'extradimensional origin'. Apparently, they're trying to take over the magical world somehow. Aizen thought that their work would be 'catastrophic' to both Arcanus Myrror and Earth, although that didn't concern him much."

"So what's your plan then?" Eishun asked dryly. "Invade the magical city and shake down the court until this 'Obsidian Star' falls out?"

Kalan shook his head. "We'll have to be more circumspect than that, of course. Invading Orimus…that may come. But first of all, we need to investigate their main active arm—the Glabados Church. That may be just the ticket we need to put a stop to this war…and expose them for who they really are."

"And we can look for a ship or something," Kamo commented. "We won't be able to get anywhere near Orimus if we can't fly."

"We'll put flying on hold for now. But the Glabados Church—that sounds like a plan," Aiden said. "Everything here is pretty much wrapped up, isn't it?"

"Yeah. I think we've overstayed our welcome here," Kamo commented. "It's finally time to get ready to strike back…."

8-8-8

Rukia carefully approached the bizarre house out in the middle of nowhere in the Rukongai. She had thought she would be too afraid to ever see the place again, but somehow, although she was still frightened, she knew what she had to do.

Kûkaku and Ganju were out on the lawn, engaging in some sort of sibling torture or training exercise. They both stopped when they spotted Rukia. Kûkaku approached. "What do you want?" she demanded.

Ganju jumped to his feet and hurried after her. "H-hold on, _Onee-chan_! That's Rukia…she's the _hinigami_ Kalan and the others fought so hard to save…."

"I know," she interrupted. "Kuchiki Rukia…the _hinigami_ who killed our brother." She focused back on Rukia. "I repeat: what do you want?"

Rukia finally dropped into a deep bow. "I'm sorry! I've wanted to tell you something, but…I'm a coward. I couldn't bring myself to face you. It took me all this time to get up the courage. I'm sorry, I'm so very…."

"Forget it."

This brought Rukia up short. "What?"

"It's all right! So stop apologizing already!"

"B-but…."

"I said it's all right!" Kûkaku screamed, hitting Rukia over the head. As the girl recovered, her face marked with confusion, she continued, "Ukitake told me everything. It wasn't your fault. But you've been torturing yourself all this time. So I decided a long time ago…if you ever apologized, I'd forgive you. So it's all right."

Rukia stared at the woman as she determinedly turned away. _('No. I'm not the one who's been suffering. Thank you.')_ "Thank you," she said aloud. "I'm so sorry…."

Kûkaku punched her in the face suddenly. "I said, stop apologizing."

"Oh, right…. Sor—I mean…thank you…."

"Ah…are you done?"

The three turned to stare as Jynx approached. He waved lightly at them. "Kûkaku- _san_ , Ganju- _san_ …good to see you again. Thank you for all your help. Rukia…we're getting ready to leave tomorrow. We were wondering if you were at least going to see us off."

Rukia stared, then smiled. "Yes. You're right, I will."

8-8-8

Pretty much everyone had recovered, and that evening they threw an unusually robust party celebrating the event. Many of the Soul Reapers were rather fond of parties and drinking, and they swept the group into it, although the youths refused any of the alcohol that was offered. Tea served them for the most part. Aiden was trying to show Eishun how to 'court the ladies', and Kalan did his best to avoid being caught by Kenpachi, who seemed obsessed with fighting Kalan again.

Not all were involved in the festivities, of course. The young shadow of Tôshirô stared across a wall at another shadow, sitting curled up on the edge of a low roof.

"Why don't you say something to her?" Yoruichi murmured from behind the boy, and was impressed when Tôshirô didn't jump.

The boy did, however, turn and begin to walk away. "I'm not the one she's waiting for words from," was his only reply.

Byakuya was at the party, calmly sipping tea…and speaking quietly with Gato.

8-8-8

The next day the group was gathered before the special Senkaimon (the Soul Reapers' world-traversing gate) that was prepared to send them back, as mortal beings, to Arcanus Myrror. Yoruichi, in black cat form, was traveling back with them. Rukia was there to see them off; in addition, her captain, Jûshirô Ukitake was there. He had a long package in his hands, and began to unwrap it as he spoke.

"What you have done for us, for the Soul Society, cannot be overstated—never before has any _ryoka_ , any non- _shinigami_ done so much for us. Because of this, a singular gift has been bestowed on you." He revealed the object—a small katana, perhaps more a _wakizashi_. "This is a _zanpaku-tô_ …more technically, an _asauchi_ , a nameless sword that has not yet had its soul awakened. It is unknown if a human would be able to awaken a _zanpaku-tô_ , but if any could, it would certainly be one with your spiritual powers. As you are not a _hinigami_ yourself, there is not much more that we can give you…we hope that you will use it well."

Kalan took the weapon gratefully. "Well…I've been in need of a good new weapon, honestly, ever since I lost my last one." He spared only a very brief glance Aiden's way. "I will take it with gratitude." He slipped the weapon into his cloak and bowed to the man.

Jûshirô smiled down at the boy. "Well, I heard that a guide had volunteered to take you through the Senkaimon, but…."

"There is no guide." Everyone turned and stared as Byakuya Kuchiki approached. "I have come to accompany you through the gate…and beyond."

"Oh? What's that supposed to mean?" Aiden demanded.

"You're going to follow us? Really?" Kalan added.

"Byakuya…" Jûshirô began.

Byakuya stopped and focused his stern gaze on Kalan. "A debt has been gathered by the Seireitei and by the Kuchiki household. That debt must be paid in full, to all parties."

Kalan stared back. "I heard about it. About the reason Rukia is in your house…."

8-8-8

 _[The 4_ _th_ _Company was active and about, rushing to all the injured parties. A great crowd of them was tending to Kalan, with Aeli there doing most of the work, but others were seeing to Renji, Rukia, and even Kalan's comrades—Jynx and Saber had not escaped their battles unscathed. And, of course, many were administering to Byakuya Kuchiki, who had not only suffered wounds in his defeat at Kalan's hands, but had then taken the spell Aizen had intended to kill his sister._

 _Captain Unohana finally arrived and, after receiving a report from her 3_ _rd_ _Seat, who was overseeing the relief efforts, she began to pace the scene, making her own observations. She knelt down at Byakuya's side. "You were reckless, Kuchiki-_ taichô _," she informed the man. She then listened in surprise to his barely audible request._

 _She called Rukia over. "Kuchiki-_ taichô _is asking for you,"_ _she informed the girl._

 _"Rukia…are you there?" Byakuya asked as she knelt by his side._

 _"I'm right here,_ Nii-sama _," she replied._

 _"There's…something I want to tell you…. One spring morning thirty years ago, before the first plum tree blossomed…I lost my wife…."_

 _Rukia lowered her eyes. "Hisana-_ sama _. I'm sorry. I was told I was adopted into the Kuchiki family because I looked like her."_

 _"That's right," Byakuya replied. "I instructed everyone in the family to tell you that lie. Hisana was your sister, Rukia."_

 _He continued, telling Rukia the story Hisana had passed to him, how, upon arriving in the Soul Society with her infant of a sister, the ordeal of survival was too much for the pair of them. And so she had abandoned her infant sister and fled. "Hisana never forgave herself," Byakuya explained. "After becoming my wife, she searched for you almost every day for the next five years. And in the spring of our fifth year together…."_

 _It was then that Hisana caught her fatal illness, Byakuya explained. On her death bed, Hisana made one last selfish request of the man she loved: for him to find her sister, and, without revealing their relationship, adopt the girl as his sister. "I found you a year later. I brought you into the Kuchiki family. Marrying one from the Rukongai was against our laws. Many in the family resisted. They said it would sully our reputation. I had already broken the law when I took Hisana for my wife. That is why, after I took you in, I swore at the grave of my parents…that I would never break the law again. I swore that from then on, no matter the cost, I would uphold the law. When you were condemned, I didn't know what to do. Honor the oath I made to my parents, to uphold the law? Or honor the promise I made to Hisana, and protect you? What was I to do?" Suddenly Byakuya moved his head to stare at the still form of Kalan, resting under the healing light of Aeli's spirits. "Kalan Lockeheart…thank you." Then, slowly, carefully, he took Rukia's hand. "Rukia…forgive me…."]_

8-8-8

"It's all well and good that you've repented of your earlier actions," Kalan said. "But I won't easily forget the fact that you were willing to kill her so easily before. And now you want to follow us back to Arcanus Myrror…for what purpose, exactly?"

"Aizen Sôsuke was an enemy who betrayed the Soul Society, who threatened both the peace and the security of the Seireitei and the Kuchiki household. Yet that threat was ended by a _ryoka_ , a young boy who should have had nothing to do with the Soul Society.

"Furthermore," Byakuya continued, still without emotion, "the evidence of our investigation concludes that Aizen has allies that have plans that threaten the peace and security of the living worlds. The events of the living world are not our concern—this is not simply a matter of repayment, however, nor do I seek to interfere in the affairs of Arcanus Myrror because the Red Wings interfered in the affairs of the Seireitei. However, it is highly probable that the actions of this 'Obsidian Star', in threatening the living worlds, will threaten the Soul Society as well. The Soul Society, with the loss of three captains and one lieutenant, cannot afford a force to investigate this matter themselves; however, they can spare one captain to aid the _ryoka_ who assisted them with this crisis."

Kalan continued staring hard at Byakuya. "So are you trying to take command of this mission to stop the Obsidian Star, now? I can't see you submitting yourself to serving as a mere follower of lowly humans…."

"I understand that the world of the living is outside of the normal jurisdiction of the Soul Society," Byakuya replied. "That is the ancient agreement we've kept with the mages of Arcanus Myrror. My intention is to defer to your judgment. I will be sure to make my opinion known and speak my mind, and I will not submit myself to any mortal authority, but as a traveler in your company, I will follow your lead." "Well…" Kalan began, but Aeli suddenly pushed forward, presenting herself to the Soul Reaper.

"Your help will be greatly appreciated, Kuchiki- _san_ ," Aeli said, bowing. "Right now, in our situation, we still need as much help as we can get, right?" She turned a rather stern glance around at her other assembled warriors. "The assistance of the Seireitei is more than welcome."

Kalan sighed. "If the princess says so, than I guess we'll let you hang around for now," he muttered. More quietly, he added, "But as scary as he is, I think I'd rather have Kenpachi as a comrade…." Then, more loudly, he addressed Byakuya directly: "Fine. You can travel along with us, for now…but this time it's my turn to say it: if you try to pull anything like you did with Rukia, I'll cut you down."

"As you wish." He walked over to the Senkaimon and opened it. A black butterfly emerged and began to flit around him. "This gate has already been prepared with the _reishi-_ material particle transformer. We can leave at any time. With me leading you through the gate, you will not need to worry about the defenses of the Dangai."

Yoruichi, sitting silently nearby in her cat form, chuckled. "Well…at least Byakuya will be useful to us…." Byakuya ignored her.

" _Nii-sama_ …" Rukia began.

"Well, let's get going already." Kalan turned back and bowed to Jûshirô again. "Thank you again, Ukitake- _san_. Rukia, take care. We'll make sure your brother's all right."

Then the group turned and followed Byakuya into the gate.

8-8-8

…And emerged in the middle of the air.

"How comical," Byakuya remarked as most of the group began to panic and he stood calmly on the air. "I would have thought that mortals such as yourselves would not fear a little height…."

The group collapsed at varying speeds (due to various types of magical protection or movement) onto the flying carpet that slipped underneath them. Byakuya descended politely onto it as well. At the front of the carpet, 'driving' it, apparently, was Kisuke Urahara. "Welcome back, everyone!" he declared.

"Kisuke," Kalan said softly.

"Welcome back, Kalan- _san_ ," Urahara repeated, more quietly himself. "So…you know about me?"

"Yeah."

With the carpet still flying around underneath him, Urahara removed his hat, whirled around (while still sitting) and bowed himself towards the boy. "I'm truly very sorry."

Kalan stared at the man in some shock. "Stop it," he sighed. "I'm not angry at you, particularly. I understand you had good reasons for what you did. If you feel penitent, I'll make you swear one thing. For his sake as well." Kalan jerked a thumb up at Byakuya. "You just make sure you apologize to Rukia the next time you see her, all right?"

Kisuke smiled slightly. "All right," he agreed easily.

8-8-8

Kisuke returned his carpet to his house, and he and Yoruichi returned inside, leaving Kalan and party to choose their next destination. "All right, then. Time to make our way to St. Murond."

Aiden whistled. "What, so we're going right for the capital of the Glabados?"

"Why waste any time with them? If we're going to find something out about them, we should go straight for the source."

St. Murond, the Vatican-like temple city, was located in the neutral land between Halteese and Kanev in the south. The party began its travel anew, with its new, silent companion.

Byakuya was not an unpleasant comrade. Unemotional and unflappable, he kept to himself, and tolerated all of the youthful chicaneries of his companions. True to his word, he was not shy about expressing his opinion when he felt so inclined, but left most of the work to the energetic youths without complaining or second-guessing their decisions.

And one evening they settled down for their dinner, Byakuya keeping his distance, eating his own meal silently while the rest of the party chattered and fussed around the fire. Kalan suddenly stopped and glanced up past Byakuya into the darkness. "Someone does approach," Byakuya remarked. "A strong presence, but not with intent to kill."

A man walked into the light of the fire. He was dressed in a fine _kimono_ , with long silver-white hair tied in a ponytail. He had sharp yellow eyes and small, pointed ears—in his case, the size of them (or lack thereof) were the obvious mark of a _yôkai_. He carried a long, thin curved sword in his hand, but, as Byakuya had said, despite this seemingly threatening arrival, he was calm and expressed no violence, anger, or threat.

"Who are you?" Kalan demanded immediately. "What are you doing here?"

The man stopped twenty feet from the circle. "Is this the camp of the Red Wings and their leader, Kalan Lockeheart?"

"I am Kalan Lockeheart," the boy replied. "Now, again: who are you, and why do you want me?"

"I am Hanatabi Kôtarô. I am a Blade Demon, traveling the land seeking stronger foes to battle. I have no purpose or ultimatum—I have simply come for a duel with Kalan Lockeheart, said to be a prodigy of sword and magic, and stronger than any mortal swordsman."

Aiden let out a long laugh. "Boy, aren't you popular, kid. You attract adoring fans from every race, nationality and religion…."

Kalan sighed. "Very funny, Aiden." He rose to his feet. "Hanatabi Kôtarô? I think I've heard of you. Fine—I'll grant you one single duel, but that's it. You understand if I have more pressing business ahead of me."

"That is fine. Once is all I ask for now…you understand that I want the opportunity while I have the chance…."

Kalan smirked. He stepped some distance away from the camp and drew his new small sword. "Well, then…let's not delay this any more than is necessary." And he leapt to action, streaking in to attack.

Byakuya, his food finished, actually stood and wandered over to join the others as they sat around the camp watching the battle. "What's with this?" Jynx demanded. "Who is that guy, and why's Kalan even listening to him?"

"Hanatabi Kôtarô is no ordinary swordsman," Byakuya announced. "He is a figure of note even to the Soul Society, one who has been deemed a potential risk, a warrior of power approaching that of a captain-class _hinigami_. He was a rival of the Inu no Taishô, and one of the greatest _yôkai_ to ever walk this world. Yet he has never professed any kind of allegiance, ideology or goal—he is simply a warrior, a Blade _yôkai_ whose sole desire is to wander the world, seeking greater challenges and battles."

"He seems a lot like that Captain Zaraki Kenpachi that Kalan battled back in the Soul Society," Gato pointed out. "Perhaps Kalan recognized that too, and that's why he agreed to fight him…."

"That, and he's probably trying out his new sword," Aeli put in.

The two dueled, blades clashing, for some time into the night. Kalan's companions did sense that the boy was making little real effort—Kalan had taken time to adjust to using his spiritual powers in the Soul Society, and now, as they had returned to Arcanus Myrror, his usual powers had returned, but those powers he had been forced to rely on, while still present, were greatly subdued. "I think, underneath everything, he's grateful for this fight," Eishun pointed out. "He found himself truly pressed and disadvantaged for the first time in the Soul Society. Now, he has to learn to regain his previous talents, while at the same time he's testing out the skills he learned there that he's been able to retain, and also work with that new sword of his. A man like Hanatabi Kôtarô…how frightening is it that a swordsman like that is simply a powerful test for our young prodigy?"

Kôtarô was no less perceptive of the implications of the duel. As he battled for minutes, a half hour, an hour, he perceived the several, subtly different methods of high-speed movement Kalan employed…he tasted the _ki_ , the mana, the _reiatsu_ flowing from the boy in succession…he perceived every nuance of Kalan bending a new power to his whim. He felt the ripple of Kalan's spells, he perceived the flash of blood-like energy racing up Kalan's bare arm as he parried the slashes with his skin, he felt the soul inside that small sword, screaming to get out. "What are you?" he finally demanded, quietly. "Even in the tales I'd heard, they did not approach this. Humans are indeed fascinating creatures, able to use mana, _ki_ , and _reiatsu_ severally, and even able to use magic to bend the powers of _yôki_ and _mazoku_ energies to their whim…but never have I seen any human who could do all of this at once, from so many different sources. I had heard nothing of your spiritual prowess, and yet here you are, wielding the sword of a _hinigami_ , and yet using the Blut Vene of the forgotten Quincies. I came here for a battle to test myself, and yet…I, who have walked this land for hundreds of years, battling the strongest warriors, am now the humble student before a boy not even old enough to know the faintest joys of human life. I wonder if you can even understand the implication of what you are."

"I've heard stuff like that before," Kalan replied lazily. "I really don't care. I never have."

"You should care. You truly should be more aware of your significance. _Yôkai_ usually do not take to religion like you humans do, but we acknowledge that, even with things like magic and _hinigami_ and other mysteries and great powers all around us, there is some power even greater, something above all, that seems to guide and direct this world. Some take more or less stock of it, and I have never been one to care much for them myself, but I can easily recognize one who carries a _wyrd_. Even in two worlds bound by magic, such a one as you comes along only once in a millennium, or even less often than that, and is rarely ignorant of his calling. As the tangle of destinies and fates weave around this world, you will be the blade to cut them all to pieces…that is your fate."

"Are you a swordsman or a prophet? I don't buy any of that. I'm simply one young boy, more capable than most, doing what I have to."

"And that is why you have that _wyrd_. It would not be given to one who would refuse to _do_. But as you say, I myself am but a humble swordsman…too unworthy to be more than a footnote in the life of a _wyrded_ one. So if it is my grand fate to be in such a battle…I shall not refrain from giving my all!"

And suddenly he, for lack of a better term, exploded. From his arrival, the humans watching knew that he was special…his presence, his _yôki_ , had been like a carefully-controlled spring that they could feel, like the heavy atmosphere before a thunderstorm, and it was bottled up the entire time he dueled with Kalan. Even as they became faster and faster in their strikes, stronger and stronger, he still seemed bottled up…until the climax of his rant. Power exploded off of him. The world around them began to warp. Lightning flashed out of a clear night sky, and the earth began to shake and rumble. Trees uprooted and tumbled over, and Aeli cried out and fell back, forcing Saber to rush to shield her…and even she seemed barely able to stand. The entire troop collapsed together into a ball, trying to brace each other against this storm of energy. Of the party, only Byakuya stood still and standing alone before the onslaught…and, right in the middle of the action, Kalan.

Kalan stared silently at Kôtarô as he turned his sword into a careful new posture, sharpness humming from the blade. His hair had burst from its tie and was standing out in spikes, as if charged with electricity. His skin was blazing red. His eyes seemed to be emitting light and almost crackled with energy. "Now then, young Kalan Lockeheart, no more games and toying around…this is a real battle, one from which only one of us will walk away."

"I thought you just wanted to fight to test yourself," Kalan responded evenly. "You don't seem the type to care for death-duels."

"That's true…there's no point in killing potential rivals and fighting partners!" Kôtarô cried. "But neither you nor this situation is normal. The ultimate high is all-beautiful death…normally a jewel too rare and precious to be squandered on ordinary souls. But in this situation…in a time of destiny…it is time to embrace it. Fight, or fall, Kalan Lockeheart…that is now our destiny, and if you try to stop it, then it will be you who lies broken on the soil!"

He charged in and swung. Kalan matched the blade, but the impact threw him away. Kôtarô pursued, meeting him while he was still in the air and attacking again. Kalan dodged in mid-air, but the force of the blow still threw him away even as it passed by. He masterfully managed to hit the ground on his feet and caught Kôtarô's immediate follow-up swing with his hand. The power of the Blut Vene was obviously visible, but even so the demon's sword began to pierce it, digging slowly into Kalan's hand as he strained against the power, blood beginning to flow. Finally Kalan was forced to throw the sword aside and followed it up with a quickly-chanted spell. The blast of power engulfed the demon, but he quickly scattered it with the sweep of his arm.

"Are you still playing around, Kalan Lockeheart!? You've been toying with me all this time…show that you can really fight!"

"Why do I have to kill you?" Kalan shot back. "You're doing a fine job of that yourself, you know!"

Kôtarô threw back his head and laughed. "So you can even see that…the source of my power. The candle that burns twice as hot only burns half as long. But I'm not using life-consuming power as a joke. I'm serious this time, Kalan Lockeheart." He made a sweep with his sword, a backslash that caused the ground to literally rupture and split, creating a chasm that ran right at the edge of the Red Wings' camp. The group cried out as the shaking again forced them to the ground and the very foundation under their feet seemed prone to give way at any time. "If you do not take this seriously, they will be the ones to suffer."

"You want to die!? Fine then!" Kalan charged in, and this time it was Kôtarô sent flying from the force of the exchange of blades. The demon recovered quickly and met the boy with blades again, and a furious exchange commenced. Kalan's sword danced, casting small wounds on Kôtarô through his guard, but the small cuts seemed to vanish as soon as they appeared. Then the _yôkai_ caught the boy's hand, head-butted his small frame right in the face, and sent him flying up with a savage kick.

Kalan recovered quickly and powered a massive spell. Kôtarô stood there, waiting to receive it, and Kalan let it loose. The blast engulfed him, tearing apart the land and breaking the already fragile ground away, creating a great drop-off below. It was wilderness all around them, but Kalan could only dimly perceive or even imagine what this unexpectedly titanic struggle was doing to the landscape.

There seemed to be nothing but obscuring smoke from the impact site of his spell, but Kalan knew, as he floated in the air above, that the threat was not over…and thus he had all his defenses prepared when the point of Kôtarô's sword came bursting from the smoke, heading straight for the boy's chest. He was, however, astonished as each of his defenses bent, buckled, and broke, until the sword pierced and ran right through him. He gasped out in shock, coughing blood as he stared into those semi-manic red-yellow eyes….

And the surreal world was replaced by a seemingly even more surreal scene, as Kalan stood high on a battlement of a great, marvelous castle. There was a vividly real and beautiful world around him—he stood at the pinnacle of the keep, but down below were the walls encompassing a beautiful and simple city, with a great river for a moat just outside those walls, and beautiful forest stretching out on the horizon beyond the generous grasslands. "What…is this?" he murmured.

"A place of safety…temporarily," replied a fine, feminine voice behind him. He whirled around to behold a beautiful woman dressed in a most regal _kimono_ , draped with enough fine silks to sail a man-o-war. There was a distinctly Asian—nay, Japanese—appearance about her, but Kalan instinctively sensed the significance of her presence. "I sense you understand, at least to a degree. They did tell you about _zanpaku-tô_ , after all."

"Yes…did…that man bring me here…?"

"He gave me assistance in calling you…although I think that the warrior you face is also quite responsible. His blade, after all, is a piece of his own soul. Oh, it's quite killing you right now, even you with all your talents, but it's helping my awakening along. If you want to live, you have to adapt quickly. He's ensured that. Whatever madness inspired him to do this, he's trying to bring me out. Now, I've just come to life, so I'd rather live, and that black-clad man without a name even deeper inside this keep doesn't want to die either. Your foe needs just one strike, and my name should be enough for it. Call it…."

Kalan returned to reality and brought his sword down. There was no more blade, but something invisible simultaneously cut off Kôtarô's sword just above the guard and made a massive slash, a crippling death blow, right across his torso from left shoulder to right hip. The demon began to fall away from Kalan, smiling, blood flying away from his wound, and disappeared into the chasm they had created below.

Kalan stared after the man for just a moment, as the blade in his chest slowly disappeared and vanished. Then he glanced down at his sword, consisting of nothing but a hilt and an imperceptible blade now visible from the blood staining its wicked edge, and a moment later the blade solidified before his view and returned to its previous shape. And then, coughing out blood, Kalan fell to the earth, landing, luckily for him, quite close to the camp.

Aeli finally managed to stagger to her feet and rushed over to the boy, and the troop followed, with Byakuya, the only one to remain stoic and observant the entire time, bringing up the rear. "Well done," he intoned quietly. "Your work in the Soul Society even considered, that was your greatest undertaking yet…to face down one who had become death incarnate, a symbol of sacrificed life in order to secure the death of another…Kalan Lockeheart…it is just as the swordsman said. The fates of many worlds seem to be upon your shoulders…no…those shoulders were prepared specifically to carry these burdens…."

"What happened in that fight?" Eishun sighed as the pale-faced Aeli tended to Kalan's wound. "I thought I was getting it at first, but then, when that swordsman went berserk…the whole world went insane after that."

"I've heard about it," Gato replied. "A self-sacrificing enhancement technique unique to _yôkai_. Because they are naturally magic creatures, they can burn out the magic inside of them, their 'lifeforce' of magic, turning it into power for their direct use. They literally kill themselves for greater power. If they end up walking away from that battle…they usually are never the same. Even so, only the mightiest of _yôkai_ can even use it at all."

"That's crazy," Jynx said, shaking his head. "I mean…why would he go that far, just to cause all of this? He didn't seem like he was after that…but then he was ready to die…?"

"Hanatabi Kôtarô's will is not dissimilar to that of Zaraki Kenpachi," Byakuya explained. "He is a creature born to seek battle. Even if death is of secondary concern to him, as a true warrior, his desire would be to die in battle rather than of old age. And after being more powerful than nearly all he has ever encountered, to finally meet one whose power dwarfed his own…he saw a purpose in driving it to the brink. He is already gone. It does us no good to evaluate his purposes now. We must simply pick up our pieces and move on. His action means nothing one way or the other to our true objective."

"What about that sword?" Aiden demanded. "Kalan…at the end there, after he got speared, his…blade disappeared, or something. It went invisible, and then he finished cutting down Kôtarô with it, and far too easily. That was…."

"Yes. The genius of Kalan Lockeheart continues. He has successfully released his own _zanpaku-tô_. Perhaps that, too, was part of Hanatabi Kôtarô's purpose."

Aeli sighed and rose, leaving off her ministrations. She staggered back over to the rest of the group, and collapsed into Saber's arms. "You're pushing yourself," Saber admonished her. "How is he?"

"He'll recover, I think…he's good at that. I've done what I can for now. But he'll be recovering for a few days…after the kind of fuss that battle caused…we'll have to be on the move and lying low until then…."

"Well, we'll handle it," Gato said. "I doubt anything nearly as exciting will occur between here and St. Murond."

8-8-8

"That was, I think, the biggest turning point right there," Aiden explained to the watchers as Kalan's recovery swiftly concluded. "After that fight, there was not a moment I ever saw Kalan Lockeheart pressed or in any real danger—up until the very end. Well, I suppose we'll continue seeing that…."

The audience watched the continued story in mostly muted silence as the recovered Red Wings made their way to St. Murond. _('Hanatabi Kôtarô-_ san _…')_ thought Kazumi. _('That's…Kenjirô-_ kun _'s father, isn't it? Did…he die? But if Kenjirô-_ kun _is our age…?')_

She glanced over at Kenjirô, sitting next to Kain. The both of them were watching the film calmly, silently, with no hint of expression or reaction betraying their features. She considered them a moment longer, then turned back to the film.

8-8-8

They surveyed the city from a hill that overlooked it…more for the tactical vision than the dramatic appearance of their spyings.

"St. Murond," Gato remarked. "Not the largest city in the world, to be sure, but a city nonetheless. We're not likely to be welcome, especially if they're all minions of the Obsidian Star…they might very well be expecting us to come."

"Do we sneak in, then? It might be tough as well, but if we can manage some disguise than maybe…."

Kalan stared down at it. "I'd really rather not," he said finally. "I had enough with sneaking around in the Seireitei, after all. It's not an idea I relish, but if we're going to strike them a blow…then let's just hit them straight on."

Saber gave a small sigh. "While I'd rather not expose Aeli to any danger, she won't likely consent to remaining behind. I suppose Kalan- _dono_ can't be faulted…we'll have to move quickly so we aren't overwhelmed, but if we move with that speed, we should be able to take them with surprise and find what we need before they can turn on us."

They made their descent slowly to the gates of the walled city. The two guards snapped to attention and raised their polearms as the figures began to come into view of them through the predawn light. "Halt! Who goes there!?" demanded one.

An instant later they began to spray blood and slowly, numbly fell from the wounds of the blades of Byakuya and Eishun. Aiden then stepped forward and raised a pistol. "Allow me," he declared. A blast of energy issued forth from his weapon, and the gates were blown to pieces, creating an avenue of entrance.

The Red Wings moved swiftly down the main street, a straight shot to the even more citadel-like cathedral of St. Murond, the house of its head, the Cardinal Alphonse Delacroix.

The unusual nature of the city presented itself to them swiftly as they hurried down the street. There were no real cries of alarm, no innocents poking heads out windows to gape and gasp at the invaders. The militant nature of the Seireitei had been obvious, as nearly everyone they encountered had been a trained soldier, but here…there were crowds around them, people moving willy-nilly through the streets, acting like common, ordinary citizens you'd find in a busy city anywhere in two worlds. However, this common, humdrum buzz was uninterrupted, unhampered, unchanged by the invading force. Armed police and soldiers came hurrying around corners to confront them, only to fall to spell and sword and gun, and yet the crowds continued their senseless mundane activities.

"The hell…this is creepy," Aiden remarked. "A fake city…nearly everything in here, everything not trying to kill us, is just an illusion, to give the appearance that this is a normal, working city…these Glabados guys…."

"Never mind that," Kalan snapped. "All the easier for us if most of the inhabitants are fake. Let's get in there."

They had finally arrived at the cathedral itself, and this time Saber blasted down the doors with a sweep of her sword Excalibur. They finally switched to caution, and slowly stalked inside, taking in the sight. It was a rather traditional cathedral in appearance, quite similar to those of the Catholic Church, rather dark and somber with only stain-glass windows in the upper stories, smoky torches set along its walls for light, and alcoves containing idols of patron saints. A few rows of pews allowed sitting, and at the head of the chapel, on a raised dais, was a small altar, and behind it the statue of a woman, presumably the Virgin Mary, looking down kindly on the room from her towering height.

"Do you like it?" chuckled a voice as a man emerged from the nearly-hidden stairs on the side of the statue. "Since we are supposed to be one of your holy churches, we made sure the look was right…all the easier for any ignorant visitors to accept." The man was dressed in rich red robes, and appeared old, bald, with a thick white mustache, but few other signs of real age. "Of course, we can dispense with the shells around you, Kalan Lockeheart. You have already come to destroy us? It is no matter. We are grateful that you came to us…here, we will finally be rid of you."

"I'm rather surprised," Jynx remarked. "You, the big bad boss, knew we were coming, and stayed here to try and take us out yourself? I'd have thought you would take for the hills as soon as you heard about it and let us invade an empty cathedral."

"Alas, your assumption makes two crucial errors," the cardinal chuckled. "First, you assume that I, as the head of the Glabados movement, am the leader of your enemies. Second, you believe that you will be able to kill me and leave here alive."

"Then…you aren't the leader of the Obsidian Star?" Gato queried. "We're looking for someone else?"

"Ah, I'm saying too much…there is nothing else for you now but death. Die, ignorant at the hands of Cúchulainn the Impure!"

The cardinal raised his hands and light engulfed him. Then it turned to blackness, and then broke apart, and in his place was a creature, six feet tall, larger than that around, with a bald head, two large jet-black eyes, a large, wide, almost bill-like mouth, and folds of fat in its squat body, with no legs visible due to the mounds of flesh and two long, skinny arms emerging from its apparent shoulders. "How shall I delight to watch you die!" the creature crowed in a new, high, inhuman and sickening voice. "Each excruciation ecstasy! Come! Veranda, Sika, Pergo, Kilz, Schlage, Mueller, Lutron, Ortho, Pfister, Jeldwen!"

With flashes of light, ten demonic monsters emerged from the alcoves. "Destroy them!" the transformed cardinal declared, and his minions leapt to action.

The Red Wings responded instantly. Kalan slipped right past the invaders and headed straight for the bulbous form of Cúchulainn. As the others turned to round on him, his allies attacked, swiftly forcing them into combat. Aiden rained shots down against a creature adorned by armored shells across not only its back, but its forearms and shins, as well as a monster that seemed half-vulture half-human. Byakuya engaged his sword against a man-creature with a scorpion tail and a spear, and an insect-like humanoid with a trident. Eishun pitted his sword against a winged demon with a flame blade and a whip. Gato engaged a huge, naked fanged humanoid female with six sword-wielding arms. Jynx tossed spells at a three-armed, three-legged creature with a mouth pointing vertically from the top of its body, and used his scroll to summon a young woman in black, with long purple hair in a high ponytail, carrying a short curved blade. This heroic figure dueled with a small dog-like demon wielding twin curved blades in reverse-grip. Saber engaged a black bat-winged humanoid creature with a more human face, but black armor adorned by red reptilian eyes and savage clawed gauntlets. And Aeli used her magic to ward off the attacks of a woman with black feathered wings armed with a bow.

Cúchulainn met Kalan's attacks with its bare arms, largely defending itself well. "I'll not waste time with you, whelp!" it declared. "I'll finish you off immediately!" He created a blast of energy that forced the boy away, then dropped his hands to his expansive stomach. "On the verge of death…Nightmare!" he chanted. Then his stomach began to open via a vertical slit, and he grabbed the edges of his flesh and pulled at the opening. His stomach yawned open, revealing a gaping maw with savage teeth, and out of the pure, impenetrable darkness within emerged a blast of blazing black light.

Kalan calmly blocked the attack, scattering the black energy even as it poured at him. "I'll not waste any time either," he declared. Then, with one exaggerated slash, he burst the stream, ending the attack, and dashed in. A vicious, final slash severed the creature, causing it to fall cursing to pieces before him. In the background, Kalan's allies were finishing off the rest of his minions.

"You truly are…incredible," rasped the dying Cúchulainn. "A pity it means nothing…for we have prepared…for you to die here anyway…we'll see you in hell…."

And then, as it finally vanished away, blackness engulfed the cathedral. The light from the still-open door vanished into a black wall, and even the meager stain-glass windows' light was turned to emptiness and void. There was a rumbling, a palpable shaking, and the cathedral began to seem to collapse in on itself.

"Um…this is bad," Eishun remarked. "They planned even for defeat…?"

"Not this time," Kalan growled. He put a hand to the ground and began chanting, slowly, one word at a time, each syllable or string of syllables seemingly alien to the ones preceding it. The rumbling began to stop, the shaking still, the collapsing to reverse. Then the black barrier broke away around them and they began to look around at the restored and visible cathedral interior.

Kalan rose. "They already destroyed the evidence on us once," he said. "There was no way I was letting it happen again. Let's head on up to the good cardinal's office…we'll see if there's anything we can make use of…."

8-8-8

The room and office of the former 'Cardinal' was surprisingly human in its appearance. Beds, desks, bookshelves lined with well-used books….

"With how this thing has gone so far, I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn't…something so normal."

They soon began to tear it apart, and the search didn't take long. "Here we are," Kalan said, looking over the sheaf of papers he pulled from the desk. "Let's see….

"This is it…all of it. Reports, letters...meticulous details. This is…everything about the Obsidian Star's plans to put the nations of this world against each other. Names of soldiers, schedules…this whole thing…."

"Rather convenient that we found this," Eishun pointed out.

"Most villains are various parts of megalomania and paranoia," Gato remarked. "They didn't trust peons to keep their mouths shut, and made sure to prepare to silence them all. But they never expected anyone to get close enough to their top brass to do anything…and even in the case we did, they had prepared to take us all with them. But on all accounts, it seems they just underestimated Superman…I mean, Kalan Lockeheart."

"Funny," Kalan replied. "Well, it's all here. Now we just need to get this to the governments of the nations…."

"Allow me," Saber said. "If we get it to my father and the Court Archmage, they should be able to make use of it…."

"That might be the best idea," Gato agreed. "There aren't too many others we can trust…and, since Halteese joined the war, there are even less that aren't on the battlefield."

"Let's hurry," Aeli insisted. "Now that we have the chance, we need to stop this war as soon as possible!"

8-8-8

"That was a turning point," Aiden noted as the credits began to roll and the next disc was prepped. "Well, we never thought it would be the end, but it was just the beginning…even after all the damage we'd done to them, they had a lot left. They even had a secret weapon…."

F I N

 _Author's Note: An Unexpected Deathmatch_

 _No, seriously, I'd already decided Kenjirô's and Kain's dads had fought against each other long, long, long ago—way back in Act 2 (see their duel in Chapter 7 of that Act). But when I brought it in here, I was still not set on the specifics. I had decided on the basic course…that Kalan wounded Kôtarô enough that he had to be nursed back to health by an innocent from the area who finds him, and that this would become Kenjirô's mom. After the Soul Society adventure seemed a good time for the duel…but naturally, it's far too early for Kenjirô to be born. After I decided to have this scene, as I tried to work around this problem, I considered several courses of actions—giving up and just going back later, at a more appropriate time. I rejected that because it was the best place to give Kalan a bit of post-Soul Society recovery battles. Then there was—bounty hunters show up, Kôtarô, despising that his duel was interrupted, stays to deal with them and sends Kalan's group off, promising to duel him later. Nah, too convoluted and too much trouble to do. Finally I decided to suddenly turn it into a savage deathmatch. It would, among other things, give an immediate glimpse of Kalan's mysterious_ zanpaku-tô _. Kôtarô also had to take enough damage that it would take him years to recover—being nearly killed, both by himself and Kalan, is excuse for that—so that Kenjirô's birth would happen in a timely manner after this duel. We will learn more about this in the next, real Act…._

 _For the Cardinal, I decided to go with FF Tactics again, and since Glabados was stolen from that, I would use what that game gave us. The 'High Priest' or 'High Confessor' of the church was a manipulated stooge, so for the leader I went with its second-highest priest, the Cardinal Alphonse Delacroix, and his zodiac transformation the horrible Queklain (as he was in the original PS1 translation). The minions are just a bunch of semi-random names and demonic images, and largely unimportant._

 _So, we're starting to turn the corner and I'll be able to start fast-forwarding so that we can finish this thing up!_


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit fictional story, a FanFiction based on Ken Akamatsu's Negima. I do not own Negima, or most of the other characters included in this work, excepting where it is stated in the author's notes. It is not intended or presented for any commercial profit or personal gain; it is simply a story written for personal fulfillment and presented for public enjoyment, and as an honest homage to the fine story conceived and written by Ken Akamatsu, as well as all the other (innumerable) works that find place herein (and their authors).

The History of the Red Wings, Part Eight: Rulers of the Flying Capital

"When word began to get out about the conspiracy's unveiling, as the countries called for peace talks, I thought the war was over," murmured Field Marshal McGovern to the boy standing next to him. "But now…."

"The Obsidian Star's big plot is foiled," Kalan replied. "The war has been ended and they've been exposed. A cornered rat is most dangerous, after all…we expected that they'd counterattack, but we didn't expect that their dominance over Kanev to extend to this…or their hidden power…."

The skies were filled with winged demonic creatures. Twelve months had passed since the fall of St. Murond and the truth was revealed about the Obsidian Star. The three nations had declared a ceasefire, withdrawn to lick their wounds…and then turned their attention towards moving on Orimus, so that they could root out the last remnants of this conspiracy. But then the swarm came. The first few forays, the few airships the nations cobbled together to bring the news and ultimatums to the Flying City, were swiftly destroyed. And then it got worse than that…the nations gathered their armies on the borders, trying to come up with strategies to deal with the menace, when some supremely magical force began to obliterate them, canceling their magic, leaving them helpless before their forces. Now the countries were scrambling…with Kanev seemingly ruled now by the Obsidian Star, and the city beyond their reach, they were at the mercy of this force.

"Well, we don't know where this power comes from, but we've got to find some way to stop it," Eishun pointed out. "They couldn't have been hiding a force like that under the flagstones, after all…they have some kind of real power that's summoning those creatures."

"To do that, we'll have to go to Orimus," Aiden said. "Of course, that means we'll have to fly. We'll need an airship, and none of the newly-allied nations have any to spare."

"I think I have some ideas," Gato remarked. "In any case…."

There was suddenly a rumbling as the fortress shook. "W-what was that?" Eishun demanded when the phenomenon had passed.

"Seems it came from the basement," pointed out Kamo from Kalan's shoulder. "I think the Court Archmage was teaching magic to Jynx down there. That's where Lady Bird's at, too."

"Magic…wait, _that_ magic!? Oh no…."

McGovern, Eishun, Aiden, and Gato all hurried downstairs towards the cellars, with Byakuya trailing along with ennui. As Kalan started casually after them, Aeli suddenly grabbed Kalan's sleeve. He turned back to her. "Can I do something for you, Princess?"

"This is becoming personal now," Aeli said. "This is…not just a threat, or possibility, but my home, my kingdom, my family is in the hands of the enemy. If we're going there…if we're going to fight the Obsidian Star in this case…then I want to be more of a part of that. I don't just want to be protected anymore…I want to be able to fight alongside you." She smiled slightly. "I don't mean to say I want to be on the front lines all the time…Artoria, at least, wouldn't allow such a thing. But I want to contribute more."

"Really…that's admirable," Kalan said. "But how are you going to do that, exactly?"

Aeli gave a small laugh. "Well, there's one easy way…isn't there, Kamo?"

"You're actually offering, _Ojô-chan_?" asked Kamo. "You want to form a contract with Kalan now?"

"I do. I probably should have before. This is a means of union of spirit and purpose, of adding advantages and power to our cause…I don't see it casually, but it means a lot to me, and I've thought about it for a long time. I, above all, should have made this decision before. Will you let me swear myself as your disciple, Kalan?"

Kalan shrugged. "If that's what you really want. If nothing else, it'll give me a way to more easily protect you. All right, Kamo…let's get on with it…."

8-8-8

Kalan and Aeli (and Kamo) finally came down the stairs and observed. Everyone was now gathered around Jynx, who stood in the center of this cellar chamber. He had one hand stretched out in front of him, and an orb of black energy was gathered above his open palm. Then, with a sigh, Jynx closed his hand and the spell disappeared.

"Felt like we had a hiccup there, but it looks like you recovered without incident," Kalan remarked. "You've mastered Gravity Magic then?"

Jynx laughed. "Mastered? No…it's a Lost Magic, or at least was. I've started it…but I don't have it enough to use it in combat yet. Still, that will come."

"It's a fine job in one so young," said the Court Archmage of Avalon, known far and wide as Etrigan the Invoker. "You're an apt pupil, my young lad. As you say, it is a Lost Magic, one virtually extinct in the world today, and if the secrets can be passed on and put to good use…that is good. I must return to Avalon now and help his Majesty come up with our own strategies to deal with this situation." He turned to Artoria. "Your Highness…?"

Artoria shook her head. "I cannot return yet, Master Etrigan. My place is still with Kalan- _dono_ , and with Aeli. Now, more than ever, we may have to work hard to do what the nations themselves cannot."

The wizard nodded, saluted the group, and vanished.

Kalan nodded and turned to the group. "As we were just discussing, we have to find some way to Orimus, through that great swarm of demons, and find out just what is behind this power source that's allowed them to summon this army…and more, if we can. Of course, the city itself is beyond the reach of any but the most powerful flight magics, so to get the entire group of the Red Wings there…it will take an airship, which are rather in short supply now. So if we have any ideas…."

"There is Sheridan," Gato remarked. As the gazes turned his way, he said, "The city of mechanics. Although technically part of Dalkia, located on the southern island of Klasca, it is a city devoted to MagiTech advancement and has engineers from the world over—Halteese, Grandall, the other nations, and even some mages from Earth. I've heard that they're working on a new prototype ship. Under the circumstances, perhaps we can convince them to turn that ship over to us."

"That is, of course, assuming it is ready to fly," Byakuya pointed out. "But it is our best chance at the moment. I concur with this plan."

Kalan smirked. "Agreed. Let's head there."

McGovern nodded. "Very well. I'll send word to his Majesty and the king of Dalkia as well and get you transportation there immediately. We'll be defending ourselves as best we can…right now, it's up to you to find a solution to this. Our hope rides with you, Red Wings."

8-8-8

The island of Klasca was a rocky, barren, desert place, and it was no surprise that it had been devoted to the purpose of MagiTech testing and the like. The small city seemed made especially for MagiTech scientists, and had little besides the most basic necessities of homes and warehouses and shops of amenities…and the College, the large building and attached field at the back of the town where the true scientists worked and schemed and (often) blew things up.

"You want to borrow our beloved baby?" said one old woman, Miranda. "It ain't that easy! This is our pride and joy, after all! All of the hearts of Class M have been poured into this project. We won't allow anyone to take it anywhere unless Class M is front and center, leading this expedition!"

"Are you daft, you old biddy!?" retorted an older man named Tom. "Class H had far more to do with the creation of that vessel! It's far more our baby than yours! Class H will be leading this expedition, or no one will!"

There were certain groups of separate researchers at Sheridan—divided into what they called 'Classes', which were all highly competitive and arrogant about their work. These partisan separations did not arise from political affiliations, interestingly, or from any real ranking system—rather, they were more divided by their particular fields of expertise, and this camaraderie over mutual understanding and prejudice towards others' 'uneducated' ways led to the schisms. Kalan sighed, and was about to lay into them—he had little time or patience for this kind of foolishness with the world's fate possibly at stake—when another voice roared from the back of the room, "Will all you daft old geezers shut the hell up!? You're all mad!"

A man stomped into view—he could have been mistaken for a dwarf, but he was too tall. Burly, wide-shouldered, barrel-chested, with a bushy beard and arms as large as Kalan's whole body, the man commanded immediate respect, and, yes, fear from the other researchers. He scowled around at them. "You've forgotten two important things. First of all, _I'm_ the airship engineer here. All of you did great work on her. I owe you a great deal for all your assistance, both Class M and Class H. She is a shining success for the both of you. But she is _my_ ship, and she wouldn't fly an inch off the ground if she didn't have my engine in her!

"Second, and more importantly, did you listen at _all_ to what these folks were talking about in the first place!? They're not takin' her on a damn little _stroll_ or some sightseein' trip or even a race 'round the world in eighty damn days! They're flyin' her straight into the goddamn teeth of the monsters trying to take over the world! Did you miss that!? And you want to try and take _charge_ of this expedition!?"

He glanced around the cowed faces, then, with a sigh, turned to the Red Wings. "I apologize for them. Damn fools care more about their rivalries than anything. I heard what's going on, and I don't have my head stuck in the sand. We'll let you take the ship, provided you're willing to work it. And I'm coming with you. Not as the leader of the expedition," he continued with a crooked smile. "But you'll need someone to pilot her, and to fix her if she breaks, and there's not a man breathin' on God's green worlds I'd trust to do either one of those things."

The Red Wings exchanged a few glances. "I think that's agreeable," Kalan said simply. "Let's be on our way, shall we?"

Cid nodded and turned away. "All right then, follow me…I'll take you along…to the finest airship in the entire world…the Enterprise!"

"Really? Is it going to beam us up?" Jynx muttered.

8-8-8

"Well," Kalan muttered, "I guess there's no question that they've occupied Orimus. They've completely dominated your country, Princess. What do we do now?"

The eight members of the Red Wings stood on the bow of the airship, overlooking the scene below—a great palace in the center of the marvelous, gleaming city, floating in the sky itself, surrounded by hordes of great winged demon-like beasts. Aeli, now almost thirteen years old, stood next to Kalan at the front of the group. Standing at the girl's elbow was Saber, holding the shining Excalibur before her, and Jynx stood just at Kalan's other elbow, and Eishun stood just behind him, his sword drawn as well. The three older members stood behind some distance, watching the youths, Aiden on the right of Kalan, Gato in the middle, holding a cigarette as usual, and Byakuya on the left.

The princess observed the scene. "This didn't happen overnight…but there's too much even for you to root them all out here. We need to find the source of their power…how they created all these creatures…."

"That's what I'm here for." Kamo appeared on the shoulder of the red-haired young man. "I don't like what I see, either."

"What's up, Kamo?" the young man demanded.

"Well, the news isn't good, Kalan." The ermine sat up and folded his arms (forepaws). "That source Aeli's talking about is inside the palace itself—right in the heart. And…it's a human. Mostly."

"Human?" queried Saber.

"'Mostly'? Would you like to explain, Kamo?" Jynx demanded.

"These things aren't demons, exactly," Kamo continued. "They're not quite magic spirits like me, either…they're some sort of elemental. They've…been here on Arcanus Myrror a long time, insinuating themselves into it…at least the leaders have been. And they've bred a weapon out of the royal bloodline of Kanev, the last descendants of the royal empire of Takiva…a child infused with magical domination."

"Of the bloodline of Kanev?" Aeli murmured. "So…my relation?"

"Third or fourth cousin, perhaps. From what I've been able to divine, they've been preparing this in secret for hundreds of years. In any case, she can nullify and breakdown, or create and build up, magic—we're talking a superweapon-class magical ability…."

"You can give us the full details later," Kalan remarked. "If they're using this child, we need to get her out of their clutches."

The Soul Reaper strode forward. "If this child is a weapon created by the Obsidian Star to dominate this world, we should eliminate it—it is the only prudent course of action."

"There's always a better way than that, Byakuya," Kalan replied. "If we have to…we'll see how it goes. But if nothing else, we should rescue her…." He looked up at the approaching monsters. "Jynx, Eishun, Gato, Aiden, Saber…let's go…."

They leapt into action. Byakuya appeared high in the air and met the great white winged demons that came swooping down. He raised his sword and held it in front of his face. "Scatter, _Senbonzakura_." The sword changed into a pinkish strip of light and then dispersed into a blizzard of pinkish petal-like objects. They swept up and met the incoming swarm, and in moments cut them into innumerable pieces.

Gato leapt into the air, his hands in his pockets. Moving his hands more swiftly than the eye could see, he used the _kanka_ energy that infused him to create huge blasts of energy with his _iaiken_ strikes, blowing holes in the ranks of the enemy army.

Eishun put his sword to use as he moved into the armada, cutting down his foes left and right. These beasts, as Kamo had said, were not exactly demons, but his spirit-nullifying sword style still proved quite effective against them.

Aiden remained on the airship with Aeli. He stepped in front of her and smiled as a larger portion of the horde came sweeping in. "Goodness," he muttered. "Did they bring enough monsters? I better get busy." He drew a card from his coat. " _Adeat_ ," he intoned.

A transparent bubble that slightly distorted sight rose up around him, enveloping him. Within the bubble, behind where he now stood, rose shelves and benches lined with firearms. He swept up a pair of large machine pistols and started raining fire upon the oncoming horde. The beasts, shredded, dissolved to nothing as his deadly shots tore through them. When the guns were empty, he dropped them and found new guns to use. Some of the beasts returned fire, launching blasts of energy, breathing out bursts of fire, or sending forth streaks of lightning, but all the missiles sailed into that bubble of distorted space and simply vanished. Aiden continued shifting guns, discarding them when they were finally empty, and then sweeping up a new weapon—and on he went, upgrading to larger and larger firearms, from assault rifles to, finally, a large missile launcher that fired its missiles in a three-round burst.

Down below, not far from Eishun, Saber ran through the ranks on the ground, cleaving through them with her golden blade. After clearing out some space, she raised the sword above her head and it flared out an even brighter light. "Excalibur!" she shouted, bringing the sword down in a mighty swing, and bringing forth from it a wave of light that cleared a large hole in the crowd.

Jynx flew into the air and spread his arms out. Fire wrapped around his hands. "Well…let's heat up this party, shall we?" He raised his hands and pointed them. "Inferno!" Flame swept through the monsters, turning them to ash.

And Kalan was at the forefront, heading straight towards the palace. Drawing that small katana from the folds of his cloak, he went into the battle with blade and spell. He wasn't as flashy as some of his comrades, but he was an inexorable doom, an unstoppable wave of death as he moved without pause towards the palace. Any creature that came to close to him was instantly cut in two, or blown away by the merest hint of a spell.

He touched down at the gates and strode purposefully up to them. At a gesture they threw themselves open. Jynx and Eishun arrived to flank him as he walked into the palace.

There, throbbing in the center of the great entrance hall, was an enormous pink crystal. It glowed with a chilling, evil aura. Steeling himself, Kalan began to approach it.

And then went flying aside from a blast of electricity. Jynx and Eishun watched him fly, then turned their gaze to the source of the attack. A tall, thin man stood there, one hand still extended, dressed in a navy blue suit with wild blond hair. "Poclian Eminus, the Eminus of Thunder," he intoned. "So…the famous Red Wings. I owe you my compliments from my predecessor that you defeated in Grand Chokma. You will not have the Crystal Princess."

Jynx and Eishun readied themselves for combat, but Kalan's voice cut through the air: "Hold it. He's mine." Kalan strode back into view, dusting himself off. "Eminus of Thunder, eh? So they have a more potent general guarding the treasure? Bring it on."

Jynx and Eishun then watched the one-sided scene as Eminus went flying back and forth across the room, Kalan beating him like a rag doll.

"He's not very sharing in situations like this, is he?" Eishun asked.

"Yeah, well…he doesn't take being struck very well," Jynx half-apologized.

Finally the creation went flying out of an upper window. As Kalan slapped his hands together, dusting them off, Aeli walked in with Saber flanking her.

"Ah? Princess…."

The girl walked up to the stone and put a hand to it. She shivered slightly, but forced herself to peer inside. "There she is," she murmured. "First we have to get rid of this." She lowered her head and began to chant. "Guardian Spirits of the kingdom of my ancestors, gather here to banish this darkness from our land." There followed a string of syllables in an alien tongue, and then the crystal, with a low whine, stopped its glow. Then cracks began to spread across the crystal, and finally it shattered, the fragments evaporating as they dispersed. In the place where the crystal stood was a magic circle, and kneeling in the center of it was a small girl, perhaps six years of age, dressed in a royal gown of Kanev Kingdom's ancient predecessor. Her hair was short and red-orange, her eyes bright violet. She gazed up with an almost blank expression.

Aeli knelt down in front of the girl, and in a moment Kalan joined her. "Are you all right, little one?" Aeli asked.

The girl looked at her blankly. "Can you tell me your name?" Aeli continued.

The girl seemed to react to this. "Mai…Mai Alusia Hairen Takiva."

"Quite a name," Kalan noted. "Still…Mai, eh? Don't worry, little lady. You don't have to worry about anything anymore. We'll take care of you." He stood up and turned away. "They're just small fry, but we'll go take care of the beasts so that we can get out of here. I'll leave Mai to you, Princess. Jynx, Eishun…let's go."

"With Aiden, Kuchiki- _san_ and Gato still going to work outside, I'm not sure how many are left," Eishun noted.

"I saw Aiden activate his card earlier," Jynx added. "That'll almost certainly make Byakuya release his _Bankai_. If he does, there really won't be anything left…."

Aeli took the hand of the girl and drew her to her feet. Aeli could feel the stirring emotions within the girl. She shuddered as she thought of how she must have been raised, prepared as if she were a meat animal, and then drained of the limitless mana she generated, to become a living superweapon….

She shoved the feelings aside and smiled at the girl as they approached the waiting Artoria. "Like Kalan said: there's nothing more for you to worry about…you may not even understand what it means right now, but you'll be safe with us from now on…."

8-8-8

Cid guided the ship away from the battlefield as the horde of winged beasts continued to reproduce. The party made its escape from the airspace, and the warriors carried on a strategy above on deck while Aeli tended to the little girl below, feeding her and then putting her to bed.

"She is the source of the Obsidian Star's power?" Eishun demanded. "A tiny little girl like that…? It just doesn't seem possible…."

"It's possible, and it's happened," Kamo affirmed. "I'm not even sure what they really are, and I don't have the ability to investigate it right now. But they've built her…over the centuries, through selective breeding and the like. I don't want to imagine how they started it, but she's somehow integral to whatever they want to do."

"I will say again, it would be best if she was eliminated," Byakuya said. "If she is so important to them, in order to break their plans, we should deprive them of her. As she is a child, one without any real past or life thus far other than that of a tool, it would be more of a kindness to end her life now."

"And I will say again, that's not happening," Kalan cut in. "I told you before, Byakuya, when you first joined us—I won't let you pull anything this time like you did with Rukia."

"I hate to say it, Kalan, but I agree with Byakuya this time," Aiden said. "I know, that's a sign of the apocalypse, but…I don't say I like it, but after all we've done, we're still scratching the surface with these guys. We don't know how much longer this is going to go on. We have to seize what advantages we can get…and if we can put a stop to whatever sinister intentions they have…."

"We don't go that route, and that's final."

"Fair enough," Aiden said. "Just saying, is all."

"Agreed," Byakuya said. "As I told you before, I simply offer my opinion on the matter, but I defer to your judgment regardless of my thoughts. I will say no more of the matter."

"In that case, we're going to have to protect her," Gato said. "They are going to come after her. And it's quite obvious that, after everything we've already seen, the only way she can be safe is if she's with us."

Suddenly a speaker on the deck declared, "Ah, my lads? If you can come to the bridge…someone is wanting to ask about your foray…."

8-8-8

There was a viewscreen on the bridge…although this declaration is a little misleading. It was not any impressive screen, but a small computer monitor off to the side of Cid's controls. The fuzzy face of a Halteese officer, bedecked by spiky black hair built almost like a sun, greeted them. "This is General Jean-Luc Ricardo of the Halteese Republic. Is this Kalan Lockeheart and the Red Wings?"

"The very same," Kalan averred. "So, what can we do for you, General Ricardo?"

"Just calling to check up on you. It seems you've escaped from Orimus…how are the details of the operation?"

Kalan passed a bemused look to all his companions. "It…went well. We've found the source of the enemy's power and neutralized it, and managed to escape with our skins intact. I'm not sure how long it'll take before we'll see any effects."

"Is that so…well done! I'm calling from Lodimar. If you need to touch down and resupply, we're willing and able to receive you."

This time Kalan gave a glance to their pilot and engineer. "I think that we'll take you up on your offer…I definitely think that our ship could use some TLC. Send us our flight plan if you would, please…."

8-8-8

Most of the Red Wings had become used to dealing with the Grandall Empire, but, save for the native son Gato and the all-around mercenary Aiden, they had not dealt as much with the Halteese Republic. Still, General Ricardo was enthusiastic, friendly, and well-respected by his men.

"So! The heroic Red Wings, the heroes of the Grandall Empire! And then betrayed by them, or at least by those people who are behind all of this. You say you put a stop to their power source…?"

"Yes, but the details of that are…top secret," Kalan replied instantly. "You wouldn't believe us anyway. For now, let's just say that we've dealt a major blow to them."

Ricardo nodded. "That's fine. Any good news for us is plenty. More importantly, from here on out the work should be easier, right?"

"We can only hope so," Gato replied. "Of course, we're not sure what the enemy's reaction will be…."

"That's right," Aiden agreed. "Their troops and abilities haven't all vanished—only, we hope, their ability to mass-produce their hordes, as well as those WMD shots they were taking at us before. According to what we figured out before we struck, that should be the case now, but we won't know for certain immediately."

"Right. As I said, for now that news is good enough. I'll pass word along to my superiors as well as to our allies. For now, you can rest here without worry; you people are heroes, and the people of this world are going to continue counting on you for their safety and peace."

"We'll gladly take you up on your offer," Aeli replied happily. "We'll certainly appreciate a little bit of rest and relaxation…."

8-8-8

Lodimar was a larger town, one of the important cities on the border between Halteese and Kanev. As such, it had the look of a town that was normally inundated with commerce and such, but now with this new war against the Obsidian Star, it was the frontline against the enemy and had become a largely military-run city.

"It's a tragedy, the things these wars cause," Kalan remarked as he and Aeli walked with little Mai through the streets of the city, guiding the silent little girl along. "It's one of the reasons I came to Arcanus in the first place, after all. This city was likely so much livelier before this…now it's living under the shadow of that star, and these people and their usual lives and livelihood have all been disrupted."

"That's very true," Aeli noted. "But what are you planning to do? Even if we've found the source of this war, and even if we end it, it isn't going to mean that all these troubles are going to go away. Peace might return to this town, but there will still be others, in this world or on Earth. Are you going to start going after wars wherever they are, finding those responsible and putting them down like playground bullies, make them stop their violence and start playing nice?"

Kalan was silent a moment. "I don't know. I never really thought about it. I don't think that was my original intent…I just heard about it while I was over in Japan, and then I had this thought, this impression…I knew I had to do something about it. And so I came."

"Yes…leaving behind a friend, or so I heard from Jynx and Eishun. A girlfriend…Alyssa, or something…?"

"Those two…talking about silly nonsense." Kalan smiled slightly. "She's not a 'girlfriend' by any means…and she's not even human. Alyssa is an alias for the demon princess Alysaser. She fooled around at being my friend, but that's all in the past."

"Why didn't you ever mention her before?"

"That's all in the past, as I said. She decided she wanted nothing to do with this and cut all ties with me. I doubt I'll even ever see her again."

"Hmm…I see…."

Suddenly the sky lit up with flames and explosions. The youths glanced up in surprise. "Blast it!" Kalan swore. "It's them. They followed us…they must be after…." He glanced down at Mai, who stared up at him with her blank, unseeing expression.

Aeli looked at him, saw the warring concerns on his face. The monsters were starting to appear in the sky over the city, and screams went out into the evening air as the attacks began. Their concern was obviously their stolen prize, the 'Crystal Princess', Mai Alusia Hairen Takiva, but all the people in this city were in their way….

"Go," Aeli whispered to him. "Go save them. I can take care of Mai now. That's what I gained my power for, after all…so that I can help. Go protect the people of this town. I will protect Mai."

Kalan nodded, then turned and flew off into the sky after the demons. Aeli took Mai by the hand. "Come on, Mai; we need to get back to the airship now…."

Aeli began to hurry her along, but a creature suddenly appeared in the air before her. Aeli held her prepared card up. "Manifest," she said softly, and a bow of shimmering golden light appeared in her hand. Pushing Mai back and releasing her in order to free her other hand, she then reached out and took hold of an imaginary string and drew the bow back, and then released; the light exploded through the creature's chest, leaving a hole in the beast at it fell away, disintegrating. Aeli whirled around as more creatures came swooping in at her, and released more shots at them, shots that burst into multiple missiles or exploded into other various effects….

8-8-8

"I didn't think that they'd take what we did lying down," Saber muttered as she stood back-to-back with Jynx. "Still, that they would come at us so quickly…."

Jynx let loose a volley of flame at their attackers. "And still in such numbers. Just what kind of army did they have, anyway? If they had such an army…what was the point of everything they were doing? It really seems like they could have conquered the entire world whenever they wanted…."

"It's a question that will have to wait for another time," Saber noted. "Come…let's show them how dangerous it is to attack us!"

The two let loose their powers on the swarming enemy….

8-8-8

"Well, so many of them," Gato noted. "It's almost like we didn't do anything at all before."

"Just what are we dealing with?" Eishun muttered. "Goodness…this is troublesome, to be sure. I'm starting to get tired of this…."

Gato glanced to the side. A small group of youths were fleeing a larger horde of the winged beasts. He leapt up and flattened them with a blast from his _kanka-_ powered _iaiken_. The blast incinerated the demonic creatures, and sent the youths scattering onto the ground. "Are you boys all right?" Gato asked them, approaching slowly.

The few that first managed to get their wits about them looked up and nodded numbly. Then, while Gato was distracted by another beast streaking away to the right, a new monster came hurtling in at the youths from behind.

It came diving right at a boy with glasses and silver hair. As the boy began to panic, Eishun suddenly appeared before him. The boy's fright turned to awe as Eishun cut the monster to ribbons, his dazzling sword style making his weapon almost invisible from the speed of its work.

"You kids should get to safety," Eishun insisted. "This is no time to be out in the streets!" Struggling to their feet, the boys hurried to obey the swordsman, but as they ran off, the boy with glasses lagged at the rear, glancing back at Eishun with a serious expression.

8-8-8

"Well, this is serious," Aeli muttered. "It seems that they have realized that this is where Mai is…."

She was now surrounded by a growing horde of monsters. Besides the usual seemingly massed-produced winged models filling the sky around her, there were several other, different types surrounding her as well, resembling some especially bestial _yôkai_. As she prepared her new weapon for the oncoming threat, a blast suddenly exploded through a rank of them. Aiden dropped in front of her.

"Well now," he muttered. "Obviously, this is the major trouble. Allow me, Aeli." He slipped his Caster inside his coat and drew two of his more 'normal' pistols. "Let's get this show on the road."

With a scream, the horde began to descend on him, and Aiden went to work. Aeli stared in awe at the battle. She had seen Aiden fight many times before, but never before had she seen him like this. He rained his shots almost wildly through the hordes, taking out groups with every bullet as most burst into magical explosions, but others ricocheted from one target to another. A stricken beast would tumble from the sky and just happen to collide with several of his fellows, causing them to spiral and fall away. A random shot struck a building up above them and dropped an avalanche on a few others coming along behind. This and other wild demonstrations of heavy Entropy magic were on full display, and Aiden worked madly, swiftly reloading, even managing to pull other charms, trinkets, devices and explosives from his coat at random intervals in order to take on more of the monsters that assaulted him.

 _('This is the man who is prepared for everything,')_ Aeli thought as she watched him, clutching Mai close to her and standing safely back against the wall. _('Really giving it his all…Aiden Rylack, the Mage-Killer….')_

Finally both of Aiden's guns clicked empty at the same time and he was forced to drop them. Pulling his Caster again, he loaded a shell as he moved forward, dodging his attackers, then finally whirled around and fired the missile, creating another blast that decimated this horde. But another horde was coming in its wake, and as Aiden worked desperately to reload the weapon, a pink storm suddenly swept in to cut them to ribbons. Byakuya suddenly settled down next to Aeli. "Heya!" called Kamo, sitting on Byakuya's shoulder. "It took me a little while to track him down…."

The last of the present monsters began to disappear as Eishun, Gato, Saber, Jynx, and finally Kalan rejoined the group. "That would seem to be the last of them," Kalan muttered. He looked around carefully. "…How bad was the damage?"

8-8-8

Kalan and Jynx were using their magic to clear away the rubble and effect some minor repairs where they could, Aeli was tending to the wounded, Saber stood off to the side holding Mai's hand, and Gato, Eishun and Aiden were standing around acting like they were helping out somehow. Byakuya's silent vigil made it clear that he _wasn't_ helping out at all, and didn't really care.

Eishun turned and glanced over as soon as he felt the gaze of the boy. To his surprise, he recognized the child, a boy a few years younger than Kalan. The silver hair, those piercing blue-grey eyes hidden behind those glasses…and the boy nearly the same age, standing fearfully at his flank, with carefully-spiked blond hair and blue eyes of his own. "You two…I remember you from earlier," Eishun said finally. "Is something the matter?"

"You're going to be leaving soon, aren't you?" the lead boy demanded. "In your airship?"

"Yes…what about it?"

"Take us with you!"

Eishun was taken back a bit by this strange demand. "Um, why?" he finally asked. "Why would we do anything like that? We're warriors, not baby-sitters. We can't take any kids with us. You boys should go back to your homes and families."

"We have no homes, nor families," the other boy replied, somewhat more softly and with more reservation. "We are, both of us, orphans. We don't have anyone who can take care of us right now."

"E-even so," Eishun insisted, "going with us is would be worst idea of all! We aren't going on a picnic…we're going to be going into battle, and it's much too dangerous to have children like you along! You're too young!"

"We're not that much younger than those two," the lead boy returned, indicating Kalan and Aeli with a rapid gesture. "And besides, we're still older than _that_ little girl, and it doesn't look like you'll be leaving her behind anytime soon." He pointed out Mai while he made this last comment.

"B-but…w-what I mean is…" Eishun began desperately. He glanced back at Gato pleadingly, but the older man offered him no assistance. He simply stood there, carefully smoking a cigarette, his eyes not wavering from the two youths. Eishun glanced at Aiden, who was looking on the scene rather with disinterest, and he just shrugged in response to Eishun's supplication.

Kalan noticed the commotion and left off his work to wander over and investigate. The two youths looked up at him in surprise, and he stared down at them. "What are your names?" was the first thing that he demanded.

The two were taken aback by the demand, but the silver-haired boy finally replied, "Kurt Gödel."

"Takamichi T. Takahata," added his companion.

"Kurt…Takamichi." Kalan nodded at them. "I'm sorry…because of us, your homes have been destroyed…."

Kurt shook his head. "That's not it; it's not your fault at all. We lost our parents and homes in the war before this."

"But we really have nowhere to go," Takamichi continued. "So…."

"Probably not a good idea," Kalan cut in. "This isn't a joyride or adventure or any kind of replacement for what you've lost. Honestly, this is more of what lost you your parents in the first place…."

He turned as a jeep came driving up and Ricardo slipped out of it. He surveyed the scene around him sadly. "Unbelievable," he muttered. "So much destruction…we're lucky you all were here, or we might have lost the entire city…."

Kalan cut the comment aside. "Quite the opposite, rather. I'm sorry, General Ricardo…this tragedy was our fault, I'm afraid."

"What? No, you can't think that…you couldn't expect the Obsidian Star to seek revenge against you so quickly…."

"No…it isn't a matter of revenge," Kalan denied. "The truth is that…the source of the Obsidian Star's power…isn't something that we can destroy. We stole it from them, took it from the heart of their throne, and we still have it in our care, but can't get rid of it. That force didn't attack this city randomly, or even to get revenge against us—it was a desperate attempt to reclaim their prize. Because of that, we brought this destruction to your city. We're sorry we've done this…."

Ricardo sighed and scratched at his head. "Really…I don't even know what to think of all these general statements and reserved information. Still, I think you're taking too much blame for this. We've been at the mercy of the Obsidian Star before this…the only place we have to go is up right now. What are your plans?"

"Even if you won't blame us, we can't remain here," added Aeli, joining the conversation. "The Obsidian Star will keep coming after us…we'll just be putting more people in danger."

"In that case, you'll be putting people in danger wherever you go," Ricardo pointed out. "I understand if you say that you can't leave this item behind anywhere, or in any other location…there's no one in this world we could possibly trust with it more than you all. But where will you go?"

"A good question. For now, just away…somewhere we won't put too many people in danger. We'll give them the slip for a while, and in the meantime you guys can pick at the enemy and wait for them to weaken…or not."

"Right now there's still too much we don't know," Aiden agreed. "Even about our…stolen power source. It _should_ limit them…but we'll need to wait and see. And as Kalan said, we have to keep people safe while we figure all of that out."

"We should likely begin our preparations to leave," Byakuya said. "While we can perhaps give aid to this situation, we would better serve by distancing ourselves from this place as soon as possible."

Kalan nodded, then bowed to the general. "Thank you for your hospitality, General Ricardo. We regret having to leave you so abruptly, and in this manner…we hope that you and your people will be well."

Ricardo nodded sadly. "The same for you…take care, Red Wings. As before, our hopes and prayers are ever with you." He extended a hand, and Kalan took it without hesitation. Then, without another word, he withdrew, turned himself towards the airport where the _Enterprise_ had been stationed, and headed out. The rest of the group swiftly followed him.

"So," Cid asked some hours later as they flew further and further from civilization, "do we have any kind of destination, or are we just flyin' blind?"

They were flying in a largely northwesterly direction, just missing Avalon and heading into largely wild and untamed lands—actually mostly the same areas they had first traveled while fleeing 'justice' from Grandall just three years earlier. "Mostly that," Kalan admitted to the man. "Going out into the wild, away from general civilization, is the best bet, but it won't be for that long. We'll probably be traveling for a long time…so we'll be having you leave us out there." As Cid shot him a questioning look, Kalan continued, "We have no idea how long they're going to chase us and our precious cargo, and the _Enterprise_ isn't self-sufficient. It's best if we make our own way and not put any more strife and trouble on you and your ship until we actually have a goal. We're quite grateful that you've taken us this far…but it's for the best if you leave us here. Once things have settled a bit, the Obsidian Star's power has obviously dwindled, and the other nations have recovered somewhat, we'd probably like to call on your help again. But for now, you won't be nearly as much help to us as we'll be detriment to you."

Cid shook his head. "I understand what you're saying, Laddie, as much as I don't want to admit it. All right…once you've found a nice, friendly piece of God-forsaken wilderness that you like, I'll drop you off and return to Sheridan. The minute I hear news that you're ready to move again, though, I'll come back for you…this ship will be yours, as long as you need it. For the purposes of this war, at least, it's the flagship of the Red Wings."

Kalan nodded. "Thank you, Cid; we do appreciate it."

8-8-8

While Kalan was discussing his travel plans with Cid, Byakuya was stalking through the ship, heading for an odd destination. It had taken some time for him to be certain, but now that he had confirmed it, he was not going to allow it any longer. Gato, curious, followed after him as he moved into the ship's hold. He was silent as Byakuya glanced around the large storage room, at the various crates and stacked boxes. "Enough," the Soul Reaper rumbled finally. "Show yourselves, waifs, before I am forced to root you out."

Gato looked on without surprise as Kurt and Takamichi finally crawled out from their hiding places. He raised an eyebrow at them, however. "Well…you two. I suppose I should have suspected it. What are you doing here, exactly?"

"Well, as you see, we snuck aboard," Kurt said bluntly. "We don't have anywhere else to go…so we decided to follow you. No matter what you say, it is no more dangerous for us here than it is for us back in that city where we have no homes, no family, nothing…and we're still susceptible to attack from the enemy at any time. Why not travel with you, learn from you, help you? You say it's dangerous, but does that mean you can't protect us? I thought Kalan Lockeheart and his Red Wings were invincible…."

"W-we know we aren't much help right now," Takamichi added. "But we wanted to learn from you, and in time we could learn to fight alongside you, after we've grown up some. We would have goals, and things to live for…we wouldn't have anything back there…."

Eishun then entered to see what the commotion was about, and was taken quite aback by the crowd. "W-what!? You two!?" He then stared as Byakuya turned around and began to walk out. "Um…Kuchiki- _san_?"

"If it were my decision, we would simply toss these impertinent waifs from the ship and see how they fare for themselves. But the decision of their fate is in the hands of Kalan Lockeheart. Now that I have revealed them, I have no more interest in them."

Gato glanced after him and smiled slightly. "Well, as he says…Kalan will probably have to decide what we do with them now. Let's not waste any more time…we should just take them to him."

Sensing that something interesting was going on, the whole crew (minus the pilot Cid and the 'lost interest' Byakuya) gathered on deck and looked on in surprise as Kalan looked over the two stowaways, Aeli holding Mai as usual and Kamo sitting on Kalan's shoulder. "Well," Kalan said softly, "you two couldn't leave well enough alone, eh? Perhaps I was distracted, but still, to sneak onboard without us noticing…that's almost impressive. But…."

"We'll say it as often as we need to," Kurt insisted. "We don't have anything else…there's no one to miss us, and nothing in our future wherever we are. So why shouldn't we be here? With the Red Wings, we're safer than anywhere else in the world. We can learn more than we could anywhere else…we can do more than we could anywhere. We're staying."

"You can't be serious," Eishun insisted. "Carrying children into battle…never mind Mai, any more than that is…."

"Although these two aren't much younger than Kalan and I were when we started our adventures," Aeli chuckled. "To say 'just because they're children'…."

"I'm sure Byakuya said something about 'chucking them over the side'," Aiden added. "Other than that, what else can we do with them now except bring them along?"

"We've already come his far," Jynx pointed out. "We…flew into the wilderness because we didn't want to endanger anyone else. If we suddenly turn back to Lodimar, we'd probably be attacked again and put _more_ people in danger. It'd be almost as bad if we tried to backtrack to any nearby city. Like the kid says…they're as safe with us as they are anywhere…."

Kamo spoke low and quietly to Kalan, and Kalan offered a few words back. As the group regarded the unusually circumspect rodent in surprise, Kalan finally said, "Those are all good points…we're almost seeming like a traveling orphanage or a child welfare service now. Whatever…we'll see how you enjoy traveling with us, then. You're probationary members of the Red Wings…." He smiled at the boys. "That means you've got to earn your keep."

8-8-8

As the credits began to roll on this movie, more excited mutterings passed through the students. Several of them trilled about seeing such a young Takamichi, and most of them, even the ones who had heard the story before, wondered if that was _really_ Mai. "We've got just one more disc to show, so settle down…let's finish this story up!"

Mai felt renewed appreciation and admiration for Momo, and Rukia, too, who had faced their rather tragic tales with stoic acceptance. Seeing herself…the haunting pieces of her memories bubbling to the surface…she felt like shrinking away, hiding herself, but…she owed it to all of them to see it through…and herself most of all….

F I N

 _Author's Note: Heading for the Home Stretch_

 _Now I've properly got the time-jumping down with the major events…as we're finally about to finish. Wow. Almost a hundred pages…and I thought this might be a 'mini-Act'. True, most of it revolved around all the action in the Soul Society, and I really can't think of any easier way to pare that part down…._

 _In any case, our adventuring party gets their airship: the_ Enterprise _! No, it's not a Star Trek reference…not directly, at least. In fact, since I called my party 'The Red Wings', partly after Negima but also because of FF4, I decided to use the Cid from FF4 and his primary airship, which was called the_ Enterprise _(every Final Fantasy has a Cid, and this has FF in it so I needed a Cid, and I like that Cid anyway). Yes, his_ Enterprise _was probably based on the Star Trek ship—in the more fan-translated ROM version of the original Super Famicon version I've played, they use a couple Star Trek references in the middle of the game, including Cid saying 'Beam me up, Scotty!' when they board her for the first time. So I brought Cid in. I also had more TotA references since so much of the Arcanus Myrror background has a base in it and its kingdoms. Sheridan was indeed the Kimlasca-owned but multi-nation backed technological city with competing 'Classes' similar to those I demonstrated here. In TotA, the party has to go to Sheridan to get its airship, the Albiore. So I just created a small version of the Sheridan situation, added Cid and his beloved airship to the mix, and then let it go._

 _I also, yes, cut-pasted the rescue of Mai flashback from Act 7—it was an important event, so I decided it was best to repeat it (after all this time) and just adjusted it to a normal narration instead of the 'introducing strange characters' mode I originally used. And, finally, I introduced the youths Takamichi and Kurt Gödel into the group…they never really showed how they picked them up in the original, so I came up with my own way for that. Takamichi, of course, we already know, and while Kurt has been mentioned many times this is the first time we've seen him actually show up. He's an important person from late in the Negima story, a rather interesting one…in many ways. Negi never saw anything really about him until much later, but since I'm doing a more complete flashback of the old story, I had to show how he fits in. Like the rest of my changes, it should all work out._

 _Well, not much else actually to discuss here, so let's move…I should be able to finish this staggering piece next chapter! At least, the actual flashback portion…there will have to be a small wrap-up…._


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit fictional story, a FanFiction based on Ken Akamatsu's Negima. I do not own Negima, or most of the other characters included in this work, excepting where it is stated in the author's notes. It is not intended or presented for any commercial profit or personal gain; it is simply a story written for personal fulfillment and presented for public enjoyment, and as an honest homage to the fine story conceived and written by Ken Akamatsu, as well as all the other (innumerable) works that find place herein (and their authors).

The History of the Red Wings, Part Nine: Falling Star

Kalan walked in…and was swept up in a large bear hug. "Ha! You crazy little kid! It's good to see you again, Laddie!"

Kalan laughed. "Cid…well, it's good to see you again, too. Already here waiting for us?"

"They let me know the minute you sent in," Cid replied, finally releasing the young man. "Eighteen months! You kids really wanted to see the world, eh?"

"You know, I've spent the better part of my important formative years wandering around the wilderness as a wanted fugitive of some sort," Kalan remarked. "That can't be good for my development…."

"All right, all right, enough complaining," Aiden suddenly interrupted. "This is a war council, isn't it?"

Kalan and the rest of his Red Wings were the newest arrivals on board the bridge of the Grandall Empire's proud flagship, the Albiore. Besides Cid, other important figures present included Marshal McGovern and the youthful Colonel Dynis Overcast, an officer of the Grandall military who had graduated from the officer's academy and taken command just in time for the war—in fact, the minor border post he was stationed at by Dalkia had been the site of the war's first battle, at least according to Grandall. Now, of course, the truth had been revealed that the Obsidian Star had been responsible for that attack that started the war, as well as the subsequent counterattack on Dalkia, but Colonel Overcast had nonetheless been highly involved in the war from the outset and garnered a great many victories for Grandall.

A pair of Dalkian generals, Kierkess and Cecille, were also present, along with General Ricardo from Halteese. There were also: a Knight of the Round from Avalon, a second 'Cid', Cidolfus Orlandeau, a young (relatively—early thirties) phenom of a knight who had already risen to be the 3rd Knight among the Rounds, and garnered the epithet 'Thunder God Cid'; and Etrigan, the Court Archmage. But what caught Kalan's attention most of all was a girl, a child younger even, it seemed, than the age of the two youths now following him, a girl with purple hair in a white wheelchair being pushed about by a stern-faced woman with short blond hair. Most of these others he had already had the chance to meet in some capacity or another, but this unique individual was new to him. "And who…is this child…?" he asked cautiously.

The girl smiled at him. "You, of all people, Kalan Lockeheart, should be aware that one shouldn't dismiss a 'child'. I am Mashiro Kazahana, and I am the 'owner' or President of Garderobe Academy, the palace of the HiME. This is one of my pillars, Marie Graceburt, the Eternal Recurrence Jasper."

"Ah…I see…so now even the neutral HiME are getting involved in this war…?"

"It is true, it is not the policy of Garderobe Academy to become involved in the wars between the nations of this world," Mashiro allowed. "We are a neutral entity, completely refraining from political involvement, but this war is no longer a matter between the nations…this is a battle, it would seem, to save our very world. For that cause, we too will add our strength to this alliance, so that we may destroy this 'Obsidian Star'."

Kalan regarded her for a moment longer, then nodded and turned his attention back to the entire group. "Well, then…I think we all know each other here, then. We haven't had a whole lot of news while we've been wandering the world, but we recently got word that things have started turning around, so we came back—now what can you more precisely tell us?"

"Well, it's just like you first suspected," McGovern put in. "You did indeed, it would seem, nullify whatever power source the Obsidian Star had that was enabling them to wipe out our magic and produce all those monsters. Their forces have diminished greatly…it now seems that they are finally vulnerable. We've managed to put together something resembling a fleet of airships, and we can now strike them at their source—Orimus itself. Naturally, we wanted all our forces available for this…and we would like to ask the Red Wings to spearhead this attack. After all, your little band is the strongest military force in the world, and we never would have even come this far if it hadn't been for you."

Kalan bowed slightly. "Of course. We'd be honored." He flashed a smile at Cid. "I assume that the reason you're here is to pilot the _Enterprise_ for us again?"

"Of course! She's not been sitting idle, either—we've been giving her proper upgrades this entire time! She's an even finer ship than she was during our first foray. Now, second time's the charm…let's drive those star-struck fools out of that city!"

"It's time," Aeli added, quietly. "It's time…to take my home back."

8-8-8

The forces of the Obsidian Star had obviously been diminished—but they were not vanquished yet. With the _Enterprise_ at its front, a fleet of a dozen airships moved on the city, and a host of winged demons and more monstrous beasts rose up to meet them.

Even so, this battle was more of an afterthought. They were swept before the attacking force like leaves before the wind, and in a few short hours the city belonged to the allied force.

Aeli led the way into the palace with Kalan and Artoria flanking her closely. For several years now she had patiently endured, without having any word of what had befallen her family and particularly her father while the Obsidian Star occupied the city. Now she tried not to seem like an eager child as she searched for signs of what little she remembered of the place….

"Aeli…little Aeli, is that you?"

She turned in surprise. A young man in his early twenties was descending a large staircase to the left. His silver-blue hair was somewhat different, but otherwise his features were rather reminiscent of the youthful princess he had hailed. "Aedus!" Aeli hurried over to the young man, then stopped suddenly and dropped into a curtsy right in front of him. Only then did she deign to throw herself into the outstretched arms. "You're alive, my brother! I can hardly believe it! I wondered if I'd see any of you again…."

"We wondered the same…we wondered if any of us would make it out of here alive." Aedus released her and surveyed her two bodyguards. "Artoria…good to see you again, Cousin…and you must be Kalan Lockeheart. I am Aedus Kanna, second prince of Kanev. Thank you for taking care of my sister all his time." He bowed to the pair.

"It is both a blessing and a relief to see you again," Artoria said fervently. "We had…honestly, we had worried that the entire family had been…that something had happened to them. What about his Majesty? And your older brother…?"

He shook his head sadly. "Our brother…vanished entirely almost four years ago, after his protests became too loud. As for Father…."

He went on to explain the recent events in the palace so far as he understood them, how more and more black-robed 'advisors' seemed to be present ever since the start of the war, and how more and more often they did the public speaking on behalf of the king as well as making the decisions for him. "When your final assault started earlier today, they all vanished without a trace. And now…Father is alive, but…deep in a coma…."

"Please, Aedus…let me see him!"

Aedus nodded. "Of course. This way…."

8-8-8

Things were sorted out over the next few weeks. Mira Talin, who had been kept in safety in Grandall ever since the 'kidnapping' of Aeli from the capital, finally was able to return to the Flying City. Aedus was appointed regent of the kingdom while the occupying force did their best to root around for any last traces of the Obsidian Star in the city.

"Things certainly seemed to be at an end," Aiden narrated as the scenes played out. "We suspected that they couldn't have vanished, been destroyed so easily, but little did we know…little did we suspect just how much they had prepared, just how harsh that final battle of theirs would be…."

8-8-8

The first blow came when Mai was kidnapped.

Artoria was watching over the child when a man wrapped in heavy black robes and an armor-like mask appeared and attacked her from behind. Leaving her lying there wounded, he grabbed the tiny child and vanished.

While the Red Wings began to raise the alarm and search for the missing girl, the huge black island suddenly appeared in the sky in the midst of the shining towers of Orimus. It was a huge palace, black, seemingly made of volcanic stone—the dread castle they would later come to call the Obsidian Palace.

As Kalan began to rally the allied forces to defend the city and prepare a counterattack, the few remaining guards in the Orimus palace suddenly transformed themselves into more of the Obsidian Star's demon-like creatures.

Kalan and the rest moved to stop the invading army rising from the Obsidian Star while Aeli hurried into the palace's throne room to get to the bottom of this latest disaster.

She burst through the double doors and stared at the figure sitting on the throne, slouched over somewhat, an arm resting on his knee, his head bowed as if in sleep or deep thought. "Aedus!" Aeli called to him. "What's going on!? What are you doing!? Our soldiers…they're still minions of the enemy…!"

Aedus didn't stir, didn't react to her calls. She began to approach the throne cautiously. "Aedus? Aedus, answer me…!"

She finally began to quicken her pace, but as she reached the bottom of the long steps leading up to the throne, the body of Aedus suddenly tumbled out of the throne and onto the ground, completely lifeless. As Aeli stared in shock, Aerigar Kanna, the last king of Kanev, suddenly stepped from behind the throne.

"Father! D-did you do this!? What's going on!?"

He glanced down at her, a contemptuous expression on his face. "Ah…Aeli. Why are you here? Do you seek to try to take my throne from me as well?"

"What are you talking about!? The people who have destroyed our kingdom are the Obsidian Star! Aedus was only trying to help! Did…did Aemar meet a similar fate…?"

"Aemar? Who's that? Oh, yes, the other seed of this body. Goodness, this man was so easy to manipulate, but every one of his progeny was so troublesome to us. Must have been because of the wife…good thing we got rid of her ten years ago…."

Aeli stared in shock. "You…you aren't my father…who are you!?"

"Oh, no, the original owner of this body was an easily-manipulated old fool. I completely replaced him long ago, although it was much easier to lie low these past few weeks by feigning near-death." He smiled at Aeli. "You and your little knight in shining armor have been a huge hindrance to us. But it doesn't matter now…we've retrieved the Crystal Princess and the Obsidian Palace has been awakened, and soon everything will come to a head…and our perfect world will finally be created…."

He transformed into a monstrous demonic form, and two more demons appeared next to him. With roars, they charged at Aeli….

And then missiles of ice and fire came streaking in from off-camera, impacting them and halting the charge. Aeli stared at her apparent rescuers. "You are…!"

Two black-clad, black-haired and youthful female _hinigami_ : "Hinamori Momo!"

"Kuchiki Rukia!" they presented themselves.

The former king stared at them. "So now Soul Society is finally getting involved? But it's too little, too late for gnats like you…."

He and his two cohorts began to beat back the pair, overpowering them, until Kalan suddenly appeared with Kamo on his shoulder. He spared a glance at the would-be saviors. "You two? It's been a while…but you might have bitten off a bit more than you can chew here. Let me!"

Kalan swiftly dealt with the two minions and heavily wounded the leader. As he began to flee, he was intercepted by the recovered Saber and destroyed by the Aeli's golden bow.

"Is the battle outside done or something?" Aeli snapped.

"No…but Kamo warned me that if I didn't come back, you'd be in serious trouble."

"Right now, until we rescue Mai, we're _all_ in trouble! Get back out there…please!" She calmed and turned to the other three ladies. "Momo, Rukia…thank you for coming. Please, can you lend you sword arms to the defense of our city? Saber…Kalan will need you more than anyone. All of you, get going!"

"I'm on my way," Kalan said. "But what are you going to do?"

"What I can. There is no other ruler in Kanev now. I am the only one who can be a figurehead and leader for this people."

8-8-8

With the help of the new arrivals and largely due to the usual heroics of Kalan and the Red Wings, the newly-empowered invading force was repelled and by sundown a stalemate had been reached. The Obsidian Palace now hovered ominously only about a mile away from the main island of Orimus.

And as the heroes tried to recover, the magical energy from the Palace began to go wild…causing some of the smaller islands to begin falling from the sky.

"What are they doing?" Jynx demanded as they rose from their beds and hurried out to observe the oncoming catastrophe. "That power…it's sucking in all the mana in the area! The nearest I can tell is that they're…trying to take over the magic of this world!? Whatever it is, this is very bad…!"

"There's no more rest for us," Kalan said. "Whatever the outcome…this has to end tonight. We're launching an all-out assault on that 'Obsidian Palace'. Kurt, Takamichi…you go find the princess and give her whatever help she needs. The rest of you…follow me."

8-8-8

Momo and Rukia also followed along, and when a massive force barred their very entry into the palace, they volunteered to stay behind and keep the way open for them. However, things grew more difficult when the horde was joined by two semi-familiar faces…Aizen's two lieutenants, Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tôsen. But then the allies were suddenly joined in their efforts by eight individuals dressed in modern clothes, but standing in the air like Soul Reapers.

"We're the Vizards," explained the man with the blond bowl cut. "We're _hinigami_ who were experimented on by Aizen Sôsuke and turned into _hinigami-_ hollow hybrids. Urahara might have mentioned something about us…."

"We've got a bone to pick with you!" continued the small girl next to him with the blond pigtails. "Getting revenge on Aizen was our job, but you went and killed him first! But right now, we have more important things to worry about…."

With these new arrivals supporting the two lady Soul Reapers, Kalan and company were able to penetrate the halls of the Obsidian Palace…but within the enemy's domain the going was not all easy, and, separated, they each had to deal with some of the Obsidian Lords….

8-8-8

Aiden danced around, dodging the sinewy shadow missiles that Dynamis released at him. The man's power prevented most of Aiden's attacks from working, and it was turning into a dangerous and drawn-out stalemate. Finally Aiden had only one last trick to try….

He loaded his large single-shot pistol—his non-Caster one—and fired the shell, which tore through even Dynamis' powerful Obsidian Barrier and wounded him. As Aiden loaded his follow-up shell, Dynamis poured all his power into his shield to block it….

And the shot met the shield and reacted, exploding the mana and channeling down into Dynamis' body. Screaming in pain and anguish, Dynamis finally collapsed to the ground, still and unmoving, all traces of mana within him gone.

"Sorry about that…but there was no other way," Aiden said, tipping his hat slightly to the apparent corpse. "You pushed me way too hard…now I've got to go rejoin Kalan."

8-8-8

Byakuya found himself fighting against a man who seemed to understand him very well indeed. Rather than fleeing his released _Bankai_ , he continuously evaded it and moved closer to Byakuya, constantly getting as close as he could.

"I've been watching you a long time, Kuchiki Byakuya," stated Larvaz. "I've learned your secrets. The trick to defeating Senbonzakura isn't to evade it, but to get closer to it. You have a 'safe zone' around yourself that Senbonzakura never enters…it's the closest you can bring it to yourself at top speed and yet not put yourself in danger. So to evade it…I just have to keep that close…."

But in response Byakuya let it fly right in front of him as the man made his next approach. "But if you are entering my safe zone, then it is obvious where I need to put Senbonzakura to catch you."

Unfazed, Larvaz dodged the attack and came in again…and this time the cloud ravaged Byakuya's outstretched arm as it tore by him. "Maybe so…but it still puts you in as much danger as I am."

Still Byakuya held his arm outstretched, his fist closed…but then he opened his fist a stream of Senbonzakura petals came streaming out, blasting through Larvaz' chest and ending his life.

"I thank you," Byakuya told him. "I always believed, like you, that battle was a task one prepared for in infinite detail, for every circumstance. But now, thanks to you, I have learned the joy of a vigorous, chaotic battle." Then he turned and started to make his own way deeper in.

8-8-8

The enraptured class watched other battles as well—Jynx putting his gravity magic to use at its fullest extent, destroying another of the Obsidian Lords. Gato and Eishun fighting at the top of their powers. Saber, boosting by the artifact she had recently recovered, the scabbard of Excalibur, taking down another foe. Kalan defeated Poclian Eminus, who had survived his previous encounter with Kalan, and a second Eminus, Pelior Eminus, the Eminus of Ice, both at the same time.

And then they all met up in the heart of the Obsidian Palace, where the Crystal Princess sat engulfed in a throne of webs. Nagi stood watching over her while a black-cloaked man, the Obsidian Prince, moved forward to battle them. Even the mighty Red Wings found themselves repelled and devastated by the power of the true leader behind the Obsidian Star.

"Oh yeah," Aiden sighed as the group stared at the beaten and ravaged Red Wings, lying in bloody heaps in front of that unstoppable force. "What this guy was…it was something none of us expected, none of us even could conceive. It seemed like there wasn't anything in the world that could stop him…."

8-8-8

While the watchers, seeing the Aiden in the film now missing an arm, kept glancing over at their Aiden just to make sure he actually had that appendage, Kalan, unaware that his deeds were being observed, was the only Red Wing still standing. Still, even he was bloodied and looking the worse for wear…the worst he'd looked since the Soul Society, probably….

"W-we can't do anything…" Aiden murmured. "That guy's invincible…."

"That isn't like you, Aiden," Kalan chided him. "Aren't you the guy who'll always find a way? I'll get this guy…there's no choice…."

"K-Kalan- _dono_ …." Kalan turned as Saber managed to struggle to one knee. "Even so, your own injuries…they're too much. But you're the only one capable…so please, use this…." She proffered a large, golden scabbard.

Kalan stared at it. "The scabbard of Excalibur," he murmured. "That belongs to you, and to your weapon, Lady Bird. After all we did to get our hands on it in the first place…if you give it to me right now, I'll probably end up using up the last of its power and it'll return to the Throne of Heroes. Are you sure?"

She smiled grimly at him. "What, really? Between losing this, and the entire world being destroyed? I'll gladly take the former, thank you…just take it…."

Kalan did so, and, concentrating, absorbed the entirety of it into himself. The power of that scabbard began to work on him, closing his wounds and regenerating him. "Thanks…with that trump card, it might be enough. As long as I use my other one…I think I'm ready….

"Stay down, you guys. I'll finish this, and rescue little Mai." He turned back towards the silent prince. "Are you done gloating? I'm coming for you now. Sleep deeply, Yume no Musôka."

The blade of Kalan's little sword vanished. The Obsidian Prince stared at Kalan in bemusement. "You are certainly impressive, boy…you've overcome even my most powerful servants. But do you really think you can stand against me? I have lived countless ages…I have seen the birth and death of many stars…to me, a boy like you is nothing more than a speck of dust…."

"Just shut up and fight," Kalan growled.

8-8-8

"Yeah, even so, I thought it was hopeless," Aiden said. "We realized that this man was the progenitor of an entire world of demon-level creatures…their ruler and master…the equivalent of a Lord of Nightmares. Even Kalan didn't have a prayer….

"That's what we thought…but somehow or other…he won!"

8-8-8

Mortally wounded, the Obsidian Prince lay on the ground, gasping out his last. He said a few words to Kalan that the movie didn't catch…and whatever he had said was quickly pushed out of the minds of the watchers by Nagi's scream of rage. "Impossible! How could he lose…to the likes of you!? How could our end be near…because of one stupid brat of a human!?"

Kalan stepped up towards Nagi and stalked slowly towards him, obviously limping, but keeping his head high. "Wonder all you like. It doesn't matter. Now that he's done, give me back that little girl…give me Mai…."

Nagi gritted his teeth in terror, then barked an alien command at Mai. The dead-eyed little girl began to glow, and the palace began to shake. "Take her if you like, then!" he declared. "It doesn't matter! The ceremony has been completed and her power rules over all your worlds! If it can't be ours, then we will destroy all of it! Enjoy your last victorious moments!" And he vanished.

Kalan hurried forward, blasted the spider to smithereens and tore Mai from the webbing. He then returned to his fellows. "W-what's going on?" moaned Eishun.

"They said the ceremony's completed…."

"Then…from the look of things…" Jynx murmured, "…the power of the Crystal Princess was made equal to the power that created this world. It's been set…to disassemble everything…which means there's nothing we can do…."

 _'You can't give up that easily, Allen Black, you idiot!'_

Jynx started. _'A-Aeli…?'_

8-8-8

Aeli stood on the deck of the _Enterprise_ as it hovered with the rest of the allied fleet around the collapsing palace. The ship, now absent the Red Wings, was full of the scientists who had built her, now getting their shot at the 'glorious' frontline work. They shouted technobabble into Aeli's ear, about the magic decay phenomenon that was now manifest before them.

But Aeli had a plan, and she was not alone. Kurt on board the flagship of the Halteese with General Ricardo, and Takamichi on the flagship of the Grandall Empire alongside Colonel Overcast and Field Marshal McGovern, coordinated with her. The other nations' ships, too, were there with them. Using all the power at their disposal, they created a wide-range magic spell to contain the apocalyptic power.

"And so that was when the world was really saved," Aiden explained as the audience watched the Red Wings escape the collapsing palace with their burden. "Not by that hero, or the rest of us, the Red Wings, but by that princess, now the queen of Kanev, and the united efforts of the people of the world."

There was a Star Wars-esque victory scene as the recovered Red Wings, days later, were greeted by the cheering crowds lining the streets as they were awarded medals from Queen Aeli Kanna, Queen Artoria Pendragon, King Karl Malkuth, King Mydas Kimlaskal, and Archprelate Malfus Lyndon. Then the final credits finally began to roll.

"And that was that," Aiden began as the room burst into cheers and applause. He shook his head and laughed. "Ah…kids…."

F I N

 _Author's Note: The Shortened Finale_

 _Yeah, I sped through the final bit a lot. I've got a bit of fatigue with this part…I mean, I really like doing it, but it has gone on far too long already. I intended to make this a mini-part, but it blew up so that I wanted to put a finish to it. So I did, highlighting some of the major points. Maybe, after I'm done, or over time, I'll come back and flesh it out a bit._

 _Some of the points I hit included snapshots showing what happened between Aiden and Dynamis—Aiden hit him with his magic-destroying bullet, but somehow he seems to have recovered. That will be revealed later on, when he's defeated for the second time in the current age. Byakuya, meanwhile, got a mini-fight that was based on his battle against the Fullbringer Tsukishima. In particular, his means of finishing off Tsukishima (and this foe)—grabbing a handful of his petals and then releasing them in a sudden stream—is important because I plan to have him use this attack against Kain next Act and he needs to have seen it…doesn't_ need _to, but it works better for me if he does._

 _We also saw a feature on Excalibur's scabbard (incidentally, the more in-depth feature would show when they acquired that lost artifact and show that, after Dynamis showed up and wounded Artoria before taking off with Mai, the scabbard allowed Saber to recover immediately and return to battle). In the Arthurian legends, Excalibur's scabbard was an artifact nearly as powerful as the holy sword itself—as long as Arthur wore it, he could not be cut or pierced by any blades. The Fate/Stay Night creators decided to use it as well, although they altered its defensive abilities, instead turning it into a super-regen item—it is secretly the source of the protagonist Shirô's seeming invincibility, for instance. I decided to honor that image, since I'm taking their 'Arthur', and it makes a great final trump card to allow Kalan to defeat a rather literal God, as we will find when we learn more about the Obsidian Star._

 _Otherwise, I don't feel much about this because it is still overall more descriptive than Rakan's flashback movie was. I've done a whole lot to show how most of these people are…the last few facts should be enough. After all…Rakan's was_ really _bad. He made excuses ('Ah, I'm just not good at all this stuff, it was boring, I don't remember anyway, here's the most important stuff') and was especially nondescriptive about the final battle ('I have never felt anything like it…looking at that thing, I knew that…we would never win…we could never win…but somehow…that idiot won!' and it shows a single massive panel on the next page showing Nagi effectively decapitating the Mage of the Beginning with a flying Dragon Punch-like uppercut). LOL, added the translators, and I can't blame them. Oh well._

 _Okay, let's finish up…we'll finally get the last bits finished and move on!_


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit fictional story, a FanFiction based on Ken Akamatsu's Negima. I do not own Negima, or most of the other characters included in this work, excepting where it is stated in the author's notes. It is not intended or presented for any commercial profit or personal gain; it is simply a story written for personal fulfillment and presented for public enjoyment, and as an honest homage to the fine story conceived and written by Ken Akamatsu, as well as all the other (innumerable) works that find place herein (and their authors).

Epilogue

"Wow!" the class enthused, almost as one. "You guys really were big heroes! That was _awesome_!"

"I really see my dad in a whole new light now," remarked Kagome. "He was…well, emotional, but still, he was actually pretty cool, you know?" Inuyasha grunted something that might have been assent.

"K-K-Kenjirô- _kun_ , that man…that sword-demon…" Kazumi quavered. "Was that…?"

"Probably my dad," Kenjirô said neutrally. "Wow, it's amazing to think he survived that, isn't it?"

"You, too, Lieutenant," Ami noted. "That…renowned Colonel Overcast…."

"Yes, he's my father," Overcast admitted. "Shows how I got my youthful position, doesn't it?"

"I'm glad it had a happy ending!" Nodoka declared happily. "I was really worried for a minute there…."

"That was ridiculous," Chisame sighed. "That just looked…how did you even make that movie, anyway?"

"MagiTech can do some amazing things," Aiden said. "As the credits noted, Jynx was responsible for most of it. It was fashioned largely from our memories, with some editing for effect since our memories generally have a rather restricted view."

Kain was still staring at the blank screen, calculating, considering. While his friends all chattered around him, he was lost in deep thought. Aiden spared him a long stare before turning his attention back to the louder audience.

"So that was Mai, 'the Crystal Princess', eh?" Lina murmured. "Well…I'd heard a bit about it, but…really, how did we get to here…?" She cast a glance Mai's way, as she was made briefly the attention of the entire class as they considered her bit part in that story.

"M-Momo- _san_ …" Nodoka began. "U-um…Rukia- _san_ …."

"It's okay, Nodoka," Momo assured her. "It was…a hard time for us…but it's long over. We've both recovered from that. It was before you were even born, after all…."

"Y-yeah…."

"Still," Lucy said, "the most intriguing part of that movie had to be…that princess, right?"

"Oh! The Princess Aeli Kanna, right?" Erza agreed. "Indeed…she was quite an interesting figure…."

"Right?" a large portion of the group said at once to Aiden.

"Kalan- _san_ …and Aeli Kanna…" Hinagiku began. "Did they…?"

"That's a secret!" Aiden declared almost happily.

"Oh, _come on_!"

"But Kain- _sensei_ is right here!" Erika insisted. "You can't tell me…if you're sharing all his, how can you keep where he comes from secret from him…?"

Aiden looked sternly at Erika, then glanced over at Kain. Kain finally turned to regard Aiden, his face blank and unmarked by emotion. His gaze was careful, searching. "There's far more to the stories than just that," Aiden said. "I just showed you what you're getting involved in with the Obsidian Star. There's a lot more to this…besides, about those two you like together…she was a princess, and he was some wild, uncontrollable adventurer. Do they really seem like a good match?"

"Oh…forbidden love…isn't that even better?" Lucy pressed.

"Well, regardless, we, the remaining members of the Red Wings…we discussed it together after Kalan disappeared, about what to do about Kain. There are certain things we agreed we could only tell him after he became a man…."

Kain nodded slowly. "Fine. Then I won't ask anything. That part isn't important, anyway. Far more importantly…Eminus…."

"Right. The one you know is 'The Remnant.'" Aiden smiled slightly. "I think I can leave it to you to figure out what that might mean…you should realize."

"Right…and that's all you want to say?" Chisame said suddenly. As Aiden looked at her, she continued, "Like you said, that's only the Obsidian Star's part in things. But there's a whole lot that comes after that that keeps it from being a 'happy ending', right? Like what happened to Orimus, for instance?"

Aiden chuckled. "You're quite right, little lady. Even so…that doesn't matter to us right now. That's something we'll work out in the future, you know? You guys have enough troubles." He turned and started for the door. "I've shown you what I need to. Over the next week or more, you'll be up to your necks in the tournament. That's your next objective. Then, after your girls are safe, it's time to worry about the Obsidian Star and if they'll prevent you from going home."

The group began to stir as they all rose and started to break up. "Still, it's somewhat disappointing," Shinji remarked. "That didn't give us the best representation…but it's something. Our job, for now, is to keep you safe…and then to deal with the Obsidian Star ourselves. You kids can rest easy…we'll be with you along the rest of the way…."

8-8-8

Mai settled down next to Kain as he sat at his usual place, staring out at the darkness. "So, you're still here," she murmured. "Shouldn't you be sleeping? It's going to be all on you here soon…."

"So much to think about," Kain said. "My father…Kalan Lockeheart really was the most amazing man ever, wasn't he? Truly incredible…I have so much to think about…."

Mai hesitated. Guilt burned within her. She felt she couldn't stay silent. "Kain…about your mother…."

"That's enough," Kain said quietly, interrupting her.

"But…I haven't agreed to anything. I don't have to keep quiet…and I can't stand to! I have to tell you…!"

"Like Aiden says…it's not important. No, nor are my other questions. Did you see Kalan's released _zanpaku-tô_ there? It was the same one that Sakura had…what does that mean…?" He shook his head. "But it doesn't matter. Like Aiden said…I have to win this tournament. Then…I'll learn what I need to after it." He rose. "You're right. I should get to sleep. You, too, Mai. Take care…and thanks." He smiled at her. "I appreciate what you've done…and what you've tried to do." He bowed to her, then departed.

Mai stared after him and finally sighed. "Always, Kain," she muttered to herself. "You always…why do you have to put aside what you want for the 'greater good'? You can't live like that…." Then he shook her head and laughed. "But still, for me…it's no different, is it? Maybe that's why…we are…." Finally she rose and departed back into the city.


End file.
